WAYNE, Neb. – The No. 14 Augustana softball team's win streak extended to eight as the Vikings took down the Wildcats 11-1 and 6-2 in back-to-back games on Wednesday afternoon.
 
AU improves to 33-9 overall and 15-3 in NSIC action while Wayne State dropped to 23-16 and 8-7.
 
GAME ONE: No. 14 Augustana 11, Wayne State 1
A strong showing in the last two innings of action helped push the Vikings firmly ahead with the lead for the 11-1 victory.
 
Performances at the plate started hot for the visitors, as Lexi Lander smashed a two-run homerun to left field in the third at-bat of the game to open up scoring.
 
That 2-0 lead would hold until the top of the fourth inning when, following singles from Ashton Dorman and Stella Harber, Norah Christiansen sent a shot up the middle to score Dorman. Soon enough, Liz Dierks reached on a fielder's choice while a scoring error brought in two more runs for the 5-0 advantage.
 
The Wildcats plated one run of their own in the bottom of the fifth inning and Augustana immediately hit back in the sixth.
 
Christiansen rattled off a triple to right center to opening the inning and soon scored off a double from Dierks. After advancing on a groundout, a triple from Desi Cuevas brought her home. The inning was capped off by Cuevas stealing home for the 8-0 lead.
 
Augustana's pitching held Wayne State from getting any further than second base in the final three innings. And in the top of the seventh—with the bases loaded—Andrea Cain doubled down the left field line, scoring all three runners on base and securing the 11-1 score.
 
Christiansen and Dierks led with two hits apiece while six other Vikings each tallied one hit. Cain collected three RBI while drawing two walks as Ella Cooper, Cuevas and Hailey Houston each logged a stolen base.
 
In the circle, Grace Glanzer (16-6) took the win after allowing just one run in the affair, tallying seven strikeouts through seven innings pitched.
 
GAME TWO: No. 14 Augustana 6, Wayne State 2
The Vikings fended off a slow comeback from the Wildcats and took total control in the seventh inning to walk away with the 6-3 win.
 
Back-to-back singles, a fielder's choice and a groundout put two runners in scoring position for AU as Lander stepped up to bat. She reached on a fielding error that would bring in those two runs for the 2-0 lead in the top of the third.
 
Facing two outs in the fourth, Christiansen doubled down the right field line and advanced on a wild pitch. Sydney Herbert drew a walk before Dierks sent an RBI single to second base to plate another run.
 
Wayne State scored its first run in the bottom of the fourth and added in another in the sixth, pushing it to a 3-2 game. Augustana then made the most of its seventh-inning at-bats and fired back quite the response.
 
A single, a throwing error and another single put runners on first and third until Cain stole second with Cuevas at the plate. The ensuing fielder's choice scored Dierks and put Cain on third with Cuevas on second. Augustana's final two runs came in off a wild pitch and a groundout, confirming the 6-2 win.
 
Dierks went 3-for-3 from the plate while five other Vikings all added in a hit. Cain logged the one stolen base of the game while Herbert drew the lone walk alongside her four assists.
 
Lexi Lander (14-3) earned the win through five innings of action, collecting six strikeouts, while Helene Krage earned the save with her two innings of work.
 
UP NEXT
Augustana will return to Sioux Falls for a four-doubleheader homestand across two weekends. The Vikings will face Minnesota-Crookston on Saturday, April 12 and Bemidji State on Sunday, April 13.