ABERDEEN, S.D. – In the opening weekend of conference action, the No. 8 Augustana Vikings added in a Saturday afternoon sweep over the Northern State Wolves, collecting 1-0 and 12-0 victories in the road doubleheader.
 
The Vikings improve to 22-6 overall and 4-0 in conference play while NSU moves to 7-18 and 1-3.  
 
GAME ONE: No. 8 Augustana 1, Northern State 0
One run in the top of the of the third inning was all the Vikings needed to start the day in the positive, hanging on for the 1-0 win against the Wolves.
 
Despite a three-up, three-down in the first inning and a stranded runner on third base in the second, Augustana held tough and scored first in the top of the third. Liz Dierks singled to start the action, advancing to second off an error and scoring off a single from Lexi Lander through the left side.
 
The Wolves and Vikings would each tally hits throughout the following innings, but neither team would score again and AU would take it 1-0.
 
Dierks and Stella Harber each went 2-of-3 from the plate as Ella Cooper and Lander also added in a hit apiece. Lander logged the lone RBI of the day and Andrea Cain drew one walk.
 
In the circle, Grace Glanzer (10-4) took the win in seven innings of work. She collected 11 strikeouts in the shutout while allowing five hits.
 
GAME TWO: No. 8 Augustana 12, Northern State 0
The Vikings turned up the heat in the second game of the doubleheader, dominating from the plate and scoring multiple runs in four of five innings to take the 12-0 shutout.
 
First inning action started strong for the visiting team, with Cain and Desi Cuevas both reaching base after being hit by pitch. Cooper reached first and advanced to second off an error, which scored both baserunners. Harber immediately followed that up with a single to right field to score Cooper and take the 3-0 advantage.
 
Cain drew a walk and Cuevas doubled in the first two at-bats of the second innings. Cooper then singled up the middle to bring in two more runs for the 5-0 lead.
 
AU again lit it up in the third on a two-out rally. Dierks singled to the pitcher and was quickly brought home as Cain smashed a triple to right field. Cuevas then sent a shot up the middle to bring around Cain, forcing a pitching change. Lander reached first on an error—advancing Cuevas to third—and eventually stole second. Dorman ended the scoring in the inning with a single to left field, bring home Cuevas to go up 8-0
 
The lone run of the fourth came after Cooper singled to left field and advanced off a groundout. Herbert knocked a hit to the same spot and advanced to second while scoring Cooper off the error.
 
Cuevas kicked off the final inning of action for the Vikings with a homerun over left center in the first at-bat. Izzy Galan scored following back-to-back singles and Jaelyn Garcia plated the final run courtesy of Hailey Houston to take the 12-0 lead.
 
Cuevas led with a 3-for-3 showing at the plate as Cooper, Harber and Dierks added in two hits apiece. Cuevas, Cooper and Harber each tallied two RBI while Cain, Lander, and Herbert all drew a walk.
 
Lander (10-2) earned the win in her three innings of work. She struck out six of the 13 batters she faced and allowed only two hits in the affair.
 
UP NEXT
The Vikings will continue the conference road trip at Marshall, Minn., as they take on Southwest Minnesota State in doubleheader action on Wednesday, March 26.