SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Augustana softball fought off every punch the Cougars threw, including a late lead in the second game of the doubleheader, to secure a conference sweep on home turf Thursday evening.
 
The Vikings improve to 27-9 overall and 9-3 in the NSIC while Sioux Falls drops to 17-17 and 5-7.
 
GAME ONE: No. 13 Augustana 3, Sioux Falls 0
Two hits off the bat of Desi Cuevas proved to be the difference as the Vikings collected a 3-0 shutout victory over the Cougars.
 
The scoreless stalemate held through two and a half innings of action until Liz Dierks stepped up for her first at-bat in the bottom of the third. She knocked a double to left field and was followed by a bomb over the left field fence from Cuevas for the 2-0 lead.
 
Strong showings from the circle held batters from reaching scoring positions and maintained the score. In the bottom of the fifth, facing a two-out situation, Andrea Cain smacked a double out to right center. Cuevas sent a single up the middle to bring Cain home and extend it to a 3-0 advantage.
 
No runner would make it past second base through the remainder of the game, the Cougars would not tally a hit in the final five innings and the Vikings emerged victorious.
 
Cuevas led with her two-hit, 3-RBI performance while Cain, Liz Dierks and Stella Harber all logged doubles in the afternoon affair. Norah Christiansen drew the lone walk of the game and Briana Lee added in four assists.
 
In the circle, Grace Glanzer improved to 13-6 so far this season. She allowed just one hit through her seven innings of work and struck out nine batters on the day.
 
GAME TWO: No. 13 Augustana 7, Sioux Falls 5
The bats were on fire in the second game of the day, and the Cougars held a lead until a dominant inning from the home team flipped the control and pushed AU to the 7-5 win.
 
Augustana struck first, plating one run in the bottom of the first inning off following a string of a walk, single, groundout and fielder's choice.
 
That lead grew in the bottom of the third when—after drawing a walk—Cain advanced to second off a groundout and scored when Ashton Dorman smashed a double to right center.
 
Sioux Falls hit back with one run in the top of the fourth, but Harber then responded commandingly with a solo homerun in the bottom half of the inning for the 3-1 lead.
 
A double, triple and fielding error brought in two runs for the Cougars to tie up the game. But that tie quickly turned into a lead for the visitors as they added in a fielder's choice with the bases loaded to go up 4-3.
 
After remaining behind for a full inning, Ella Cooper took things into her own hands and tied it up once again with a solo homerun shot of her own out over left field. That hit opened up a hot sixth inning of action from the plate for the Vikings.
 
Christiansen drew a walk but the home team was soon forced to rally with two outs. Back-to-back singles loaded the bases and Augustana regained control once Cuevas drew a walk to score one.
 
Following a pitching change, Lexi Lander sent a single through the right side and scored Cain and Dierks to put the Vikings ahead 7-4.
 
The Cougars loaded the bases in response in the top of the seventh and even scored a run to close in, but a foiled stolen base attempt would end the game.
 
Seven different Vikings combined for the teams seven total hits as Lander and Dorman each collected 2 RBI. Dorman tallied four assists and Sidney Smart logged a stolen base.
 
Helene Krage (2-0) took the win in the circle, allowing just one hit and one run with three strikeouts in her two innings of action.
 
UP NEXT
Augustana is set to hit the road for a weekend trip to North Dakota where the Vikings will take on University of Mary at 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 5 and Minot State at 12 p.m. on Sunday, April 6.