SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – No. 8 Augustana softball split a Tuesday afternoon doubleheader against Drury, taking a game one victory by a score of 4-1 before falling 2-0 in game two.
 
The Vikings now sit with a 13-5 record while the Panthers move to 8-12 on the season.
 
GAME ONE: #8 Augustana 4, Drury 1
Behind two runs in the top of the seventh inning, the Vikings sealed the deal on a 4-1 victory over the Panthers to take the first game of the doubleheader.
 
AU fended off a scoreless first two innings, striking first in the third inning. Andrea Cain singled and Lexi Lander drew a walk to bring Ashton Dorman up to the plate. She sent a shot through the right side and advanced to second on the throw, scoring Cain and putting the Vikings on the board.
 
Drury plated a run in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game until the fifth inning, when Liz Dierks advanced to second on a passed ball and scored off a double from Cain. That lead increased in the seventh as Desi Cuevas singled to score Dierks from second base and a groundout scored Cain, forcing the 4-1 score.
 
Cain and Dierks each went 2-for-3 at the plate as Dorman collected eight putouts and two RBI. Lander drew two walks and Cuevas tallied the lone stolen base of the game.
 
In the circle, Grace Glanzer (6-3) earned the win in her seven innings of work, allowing just one run as she struck out eight batters.
 
GAME TWO: Drury 2, #8 Augustana 0
A late break of the scoreless stalemate ended in a 2-0 loss for the Vikings.
 
Due to strong fielding from both teams, Drury and Augustana each struggled to get runners in scoring position in the final game of the doubleheader.
 
The Panthers scored two runs after a single with the bases loaded, which would serve as the only scoring hit of the afternoon. The Vikings had the top of the seventh to attempt a response and extend action, but no runner would make it past first base.
 
Cain, Cuevas, Lander and Dierks combined to log Augustana's four total hits on the day as Briana Lee collected three assists and Christiansen and Lander each tallied two. Lander (6-2) tallied four strikeouts in her six innings of action in the circle.
 
Augustana will now turn to the Spring Break Games in Branson, facing Washburn and Northeastern State on Wednesday and McKendree and Missouri S&T on Thursday.