SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – In their weekend finale, the Concordia-St. Paul softball team (20-12, 7-5 NSIC) dropped two games to #12 Augustana (32-5, 12-0 NSIC) at the Bowden Field on Sunday afternoon. The Vikings held a 24-3 advantage in hits on the day, helping them to a 7-1 win in game one and a 10-1 five-inning win in game two.
 
GAME 1: AUGUSTANA 7, CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL 1
Hits were hard to come by for the Golden Bears in the first game, as Augie's Ashley Mickschl pitched a three-hitter in the contest. Carlie Hart, Kris McIntyre, and Amanda Parsons each tallied a hit in the game for CSP, with Hart driving in a run as well.
 
After holding the Vikings in the first inning, the Bears threatened to score, loading the bases. McIntyre hit a hard single to center which was followed by Knoche getting hit by a pitch. Mortenson then walked after a nine pitch at-bat to load the bases. Amanda Parsons hit a line shot, but it went right to the Augie shortstop, getting them out of the inning with no damage done.
 
The Vikings scored in the following inning, as Maggie Dunnett hit a two-run home run to centerfield to give Augie a 2-0 lead after two innings. Augustana would add another run, using a pair of singles to make it 3-0 after three innings.
 
Each team scored once in the fifth inning. Augie's Christina Pickett doubled through the right side to score a runner on second and CSP's Carlie Hart doubled off the centerfield wall to score Makenna Giese from second.
 
Augie tacked on three additional runs in the sixth, taking advantage of two CSP errors in the process to help load the bases. This allowed Kendall Cornick to hit a bases clearing double, making it 7-1 in favor of the Vikings.
 
CSP threatened in the bottom of the inning, as Mortenson walked and advanced to third on a double from Parsons that hit off the fence in left center. But, Augustana got out of the inning maintaining their six-run lead. The Bears were unable to get much going in the seventh, as Katie Carlson was the only runner to reach in the inning, allowing Augie to win 7-1.
 
Aryka Knoche pitched the first 5.1 innings and would take the loss, giving up seven runs (four earned) on 10 hits. She struck out four and walked one in the outing and is now 8-4 on the year. Kali Kaestner came in for the final 1.2 innings, allowing only one hit and striking out two.  
 
GAME 2: AUGUSTANA 10, CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL 1 (5 INNINGS)
In game two, the Vikings used 13 hits and a no-hitter performance from pitcher Amber Elliot to cruise to a 10-1 five-inning win. It was a one-run game through the first two innings, but then Augustana unleashed for four runs in each of the third and fourth innings to give themselves a big lead. Both teams scored once in the fifth, leaving Augie up by nine runs, which ended the game in five innings.
 
The Vikings entered the third inning with a one-run lead after getting a run across in the second by stringing together three hits. Hart kept it a one-run game by robbing a home run in centerfield to start off the third inning. However, Augustana scored four runs in the inning anyway, getting three of their runs on a home run from Delaney Young.
 
The following inning the Vikings added four more runs on three hits and two CSP errors. Augie drove in their final run in the top of the fifth with a single up the middle.
 
CSP got on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning when Mortenson walked and advanced to second on a groundout. This allowed her to score when Katie Carlson reached on a throwing error from the second baseman.
 
With a walk in the game and a hit in the first game, McIntyre extends her reached base streak to 25 straight games which is the longest of any CSP player since the 2012 season.
 
Samantha Sullivan took the loss on the mound, pitching the first three innings, giving up eight runs (six earned) on ten hits while striking out two. Kaestner pitched the final two innings in relief, giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits.
 
The Golden Bears will continue with NSIC play on Tuesday when they travel back to South Dakota to take on Sioux Falls. Game times are set for 3 and 5 p.m. at Sherman Park.