SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Augustana softball team earned its third-straight sweep on Wednesday with 7-4 and 10-2 victories over Southwest Minnesota State. The Vikings recorded the victories with 12 hits in each game while limiting SMSU to three and two hits, respectively.
 
Augustana is now 24-13 on the season and 9-1 in the NSIC. Southwest Minnesota State falls to 13-20, 4-6.
 
Game One: Augustana 7, Southwest Minnesota State 4
Augustana racked up 12 hits to score seven runs for the victory. On defense, Grace Glanzer tossed a three-hit, complete game for her 11^th win of the year.
 
In the second inning, with runners on first and second, Liz Dierks tripled into center field to score Nicole Bellis and Ashton Dorman.
 
The Mustangs cut the deficit in half in the top of the fourth on a home run down the left-field line.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, the Vikings plated two more runs. Torri Chute sent a home run over the left-center fence for a solo home run. Two batters later, Dorman sent Gracey Brink home, courtesy of a single on the left-field line.
 
Southwest Minnesota State knotted the score at four-all on a home run in the top of the sixth to try and create an interesting contest.
 
However, AU answered right back with three runs in the bottom half of the sixth. With Liz Dierks on second base, Desi Cuevas doubled into left-center to score Dierks. Cuevas was then sent home on a single through the left side by Kennedy Buckman to make the score 6-4.
 
The final run of the game came courtesy of Brink as she singled into center field to score Hailey Houston.
 
Glanzer set down the Mustangs in order to close the game in the seventh.
 
Brink and Chute each recorded three hits while Dorman and Dierks totaled a pair of hits.
 
Game Two: Augustana 10, Southwest Minnesota State 2
The Vikings racked up 12 hits for the second-straight game and led 9-0 after three innings en route to the win.
 
Kennedy Buckman hit a home run over the center field fence for the 1-0 lead three batters into the game. Later in the first, Ashton Dorman singled in Torri Chute.
 
In the bottom of the second, Chute hit her third grand slam in four games at Bowden Field in 2024 as the score moved to 6-0. After Chute went deep over the left-field fence, Gracey Brink went over the left-field fence for a 7-0 lead.
 
In the bottom of the third, the score moved to 9-0, first on a passed ball that scored Hailey Houston, then Andrea Cain crossed home plate on a Buckman single.
 
The visiting Mustangs scored two runs in the top of the fifth to extend the game, which saw Augustana end it in the sixth inning on a wild pitch.
 
Of Augustana's 12 hits, Cain, Buckman, Brink, Dorman and Dierks all recorded two hits.
 
Lexi Lander tossed four innings for AU, allowing just one hit and striking out two. Ella Cooper pitched the final two innings, also allowing a single hit.
 
Up Next
Augustana's series with UMary has been moved to Friday with a 1 p.m. first pitch at Bowden Field. On Saturday, AU hosts Minot State with a noon first pitch.