ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - The No. 17/7/9 Augustana baseball team dropped its first game of the season on Sunday afternoon, falling 3-2 to Ouachita Baptist to conclude the HSU Invitational. 

Jack Hines went 3 for 4 with a run scored. Trevor Winterstein had a home run, one RBI and a run scored while Sam Siegel added a double and an RBI. The Vikings had four stolen bases, including two from substitutions.

Mariano Gomez was dominant in his season debut, going six innings and allowing just two hits while striking out 12 and allowing an opponent batting average of just .105 while earning a no-decision. Ryan Clementi threw the final 1 1/3 and allowed a pair of walks while striking out three. 

Winterstein led the game off with a full-count blast and Hines sent the next pitch to the left-center gap for a double to open the game. After getting behind 0-2 in the next plate appearance, Siegel hung with a breaking ball and put it down the right field line to drive in Hines and give Gomez a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the inning. 

Gomez had it working early, striking out a pair in the first inning and two more in the second inning. He added three more in the third inning one more in the fourth while forcing a double play to keep the Tigers off the board. 

Kai Taylor was summoned from the pen in the seventh inning and allowed a walk, single, sac bunt, RBI groundout and intentional walk to get the Tigers within 2-1 with two outs and the bases loaded. Will Henry entered and gave up an RBI single and a walk to reload the bases and Clementi walked in the go-ahead run before a strikeout ended the inning. 

The Vikings got a runner in scoring position each of the final two innings to threaten the OBU lead. Hines picked up a one-out single and Troy Berg, after entering for Hines as a pinch runner, stole second with two outs but a strikeout ended the threat. Jason Axelberg drew a one-out walk in the ninth, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error but back to back strikeouts ended the threat and the game. 

The Vikings travel to Topeka, Kansas next weekend to take on Washburn in a three-game set.