BISMARCK, N.D. – Augustana softball turned up the heat against UMary on Saturday afternoon, taking back-to-back conference wins (12-4, 16-0) in convincing fashion at the Sanford Sports Complex.
 
The Vikings move to 29-9 overall and 11-3 in the NSIC while the Marauders drop to 9-30 and 2-12.
 
GAME ONE: No. 13 Augustana 12, UMary 4
The bats were alive and sizzling for both teams in game one, but it was the dominant swinging from the Vikings in the beginning three innings of action that set the pace and propelled AU to a 12-4 win.
 
Andrea Cain sent a homerun shot to left center in the first at-bat of action, simultaneously kicking off quite the showing from Augustana. Ashton Dorman then doubled to score Desi Cuevas from second base and made it home off a single from Stella Harber single.
 
The final two runs of the innings came in off a base hit from Norah Christiansen, scoring two to put AU ahead 5-0 after one half of action.
 
Cuevas knocked a double down the right field line, helping bring around Cain, who scored off an error. Lexi Lander followed that up with another double to bring Cuevas home and take the 7-0 lead.
 
The third inning started with another homerun shot to left center, courtesy of Christiansen. Back-to-back-to-back singles brought Briana Lee across home plate before a groundout and another single scored two more.
 
With runners on second and first, Harber knocked a hit to right field to score the fifth run of the inning, forcing a 12-0 game.
 
UMary rallied in response with three runs on a two-out situation, before adding in a homerun in the fourth. But the scoring would go no further and Augustana would take the 12-4 win in five innings.
 
Cain went a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate—including a homerun—while Lander, Harber and Christiansen all added in two hits apiece. Three Vikings reached on a walk while three also each logged a stolen base.
 
Grace Glanzer took the win in the circle, improving to 14-6 on the season. She allowed four runs and struck out six batters through four innings of work.
 
GAME TWO: No. 13 Augustana 16, UMary 0
It was all Vikings in the second half of the doubleheader, as the team went a combined 18-for-33 from the plate and scored 16 unanswered runs in the shutout to take the series sweep.
 
With runners on second and third, a groundout and a double to center field scored both and was soon followed up by a three-run rocket of a shot from Harber, putting the visitors ahead 5-0.
 
A single, a double and a walk loaded up the bases for AU in the top of the second inning and, despite a double play, two would score. Ella Cooper knocked an RBI single to left field, stole second, and advanced to third on a passed ball before scoring off a single from Harber to take the 8-0 lead.
 
The Marauders were downed in order in the bottom half of the inning and, in the top of the third, Augustana lit it up.
 
Bases were loaded after back-to-back singles and a walk, bringING Lander up to bat. She reached on an error while two runners touched home plate and Dorman rocketed a three-run homer to left field to clear the bases.
 
Domination continued with a solo homerun from Cooper and an RBI single from Liz Dierks, putting the Vikings up 15-0.
 
For good measure, Lander homered to left field for the final run scored of the evening, allowing AU to take home a 16-0 victory in five innings.
 
Cain, Dorman and Harber each went 3-for-4 from the plate as Cooper, Dorman, Harber and Lander all knocked out a homerun. Dorman and Harber led with four RBI apiece and Cain tallied two stolen bases.
 
Lander took the win in the circle, striking out three batters, allowing just two hits and no runs through her three innings. Jaelyn Garcia made her first appearance on the mound, collecting two strikeouts in two innings.
 
Augustana returns to action on Sunday afternoon with a conference doubleheader against Minot State with a 12 p.m. start time.