SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The No. 15 Augustana baseball team split with Minot State on Saturday afternoon, winning 17-3 and falling 10-6 for its first conference loss of the season at Ronken Field.

Records
Augustana 20-6, 13-1 NSIC, Minot State 10-14, 5-9 NSIC

Game one: Augustana 17, Minot State 3
A 14-run third inning helped the Vikings blow open a game one victory. Ragan Pinnow went 3 for 4 with four RBI while Kobe Eikmeier and Carter Heinsch had two hits apiece. 

Ethan Hoffman went five innings in the start, moving to 5-1 after allowing three earned runs on four hits and striking out five. In his collegiate debut, Carson Walker recorded a strikeout in 1 2/3 innings and Jadon Bast finished the game with one pitch and one out. 

Hoffman sent the Beavers down in order before getting early run support. Eikmeier drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first, stole second and reached third on an infield single from Heinsch. A wild pitch brought him in and Heinsch would come around on a Pinnow single to make it 2-0 AU. 

In the second, Jake Lundquist led off with a double before a one-out RBI single from Eikmeier made it 3-0. The runs kept coming in the third, starting with a two-run error off the bat of Lundquist. Brandon Weigel reloaded the bases with a bunt single before a merry-go-round put the game out of reach. 

Eikmeier started with an RBI single and Heinsch walked with the bases loaded to add another. An RBI single from Carter McPeak kept it going and Pinnow added one of his own on the next pitch. A wild pitch added another run and an error off the bat of Troy Berg scored one more. Nate Soelter continued the ambush with an RBI double and, after Lundquist wore a pitch, Weigel reached on a fielder's choice with an error to score two more runs. 

Eikmeier drew a walk and Heinsch plated a run with a single up the middle. Koskie added a single and Pinnow hit a two-run double to cap off a 14-run third inning, putting the Vikings in the lead 17-0. The Beavers struck for three runs in the top of the fifth inning to cut their deficit to 17-3 and brought the game to its final score. 

Game two: Minot State 10, Augustana 6
Joel Van De Stroet had one of the most efficient outings in his young career, striking out seven and allowing just three baserunners while allowing an earned run in five innings of work. Will Henry followed with four outs and allowed six earned runs on four hits while striking out three. Will Simmons allowed two runs in an inning of work and Adam Diedrich got the final five outs without allowing an earned run. 

Van De Stroet got a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless first frame before a three-run bottom of the inning put the Vikings in front. Eikmeier doubled and moved to third on an Eikmeier groundout. He would score on a wild pitch and, with two outs, Berg tripled in two more runs to make it 3-0.

A Beaver run in the fourth would be the only offense until the Vikings struck in the sixth. Lind opened with an infield single and stole third with one out. Soelter walked and Lundquist reached on a bunt single to bring in Lind. 

After a double steal, Weigel reached on an error to score two more runs and make it 6-1 Vikings. MISU would go on to score six runs in the seventh inning to take a 7-6 advantage. They would add three more in the eighth to bring the game to its final score.

The two teams will play the rubber match on Sunday at noon at Ronken Field.