SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The Augustana baseball team split a midweek series with Sioux Falls, falling 5-3 before taking a 12-1, run-rule shortened victory on Wednesday afternoon at The Birdcage.
The Vikings shift to 20-11 overall and 15-7 in the NSIC while the Cougars go to 16-20, 12-10.
Game 1: Sioux Falls 5, Augustana 3
Ragan Pinnow had a pair of hits and
Troy Berg drove in all three runs to lead the offense.
Harry Blum allowed five runs, four earned, in five innings while striking out a pair in the start.
Ryan Clementi came into the sixth with a runner on second and threw a scoreless frame.
Trevor Winterstein walked, advanced to second on a groundout and stole third with two outs.
Jason Axelberg walked and stole second behind him and Berg came through with a double to the left-center gap to give AU a 2-0 lead.
The Cougars charged back with three runs in the bottom of the first and another in the third to take a 4-2 lead.
That concluded the scoring until the sixth inning. Hines opened the inning with a single, stole second with an out and advanced on an overthrow to get to third.
Berg was able to punch one down the first base line, slow enough for
Jack Hines to come in and score to make it 4-3. The Cougars tacked on one more run in the bottom of the sixth inning to bring the game to its final score.
In the seventh, Pinnow singled, Winterstein walked and San Siegel walked to load the bases with two outs, but AU was unable to get a run across.
Game 2: Augustana 12, Sioux Falls 1
Carter Heinsch had three hits while Hines went 3 for 3 with a home run, 4 RBI, three runs scored and a stolen base.
Nate Soelter had two hits, as did
Joe Kolbeck.
Jack Sutton threw a pair of scoreless innings and struck out three while earning the start.
Caden Oberbroekling earned his first career strikeout while getting a pair of outs while
Jadon Bast,
Josiah Petersen and
Will Henry combined for 3 1/3 scoreless innings and
Tom Sun allowed a run in the seventh inning.
The Vikings brought urgency into game two. Winterstein walked and moved to third on a Heinsch single. Hines followed with an RBI single to open the scoring as Winterstein crossed home.
After a flyout, Axelberg singled up the middle and advanced on a throw while Heinsch scored and Hines reached third. Both scored one batter later when Soelter doubled off the wall in left and made it 4-0.
Pinnow rounded out the scoring when he singled to left, scoring Soelter and capping a five run inning. Sutton sent the Cougars down in the bottom of the inning to enhance the crooked number.
The Vikings were able to tack on two more in the second inning. Kolbeck doubled to open the inning and, after two consecutive outs, Hines walked and stole second to get two in scoring position. Berg singled both home, putting AU in front 7-0.
Joe Kolbeck tripled to score
Ryan Clementi in the third and
Jack Hines hit his fourth home run of the year in the fourth to get the Vikings near run-rule territory at 9-0.
AU broke through with a double-digit lead in the fifth inning. After two quick outs, Clementi singled and Kolbeck reached on an error and got runners on the corners.
Winterstein walked to load the bases and Heinsch singled through the right side to score Clementi. Hines drove in two more with a single to center, putting the Vikings in front 12-0. The Cougars scored one in the seventh, but it wouldn't be enough to avoid the run rule.
The Vikings return to Ronken Field for a four-game set against Winona State starting at 1:30 p.m., on Saturday.
