ELMHURST, Ill. - On a brisk afternoon at Salt Creek Park, Augustana College swept both games in run-rule fashion over Elmhurst Friday afternoon. Game one saw a six-inning shutout, while game two ended in five, as the Vikings improved to 20-6 overall and 8-2 in the conference. Elmhurst, meanwhile, fell to 6-21-1 and 2-10 in league play.
In the opener, Augustana's bats came alive early and often, while pitcher Lauren Koster was strong in the circle. The Vikings broke a scoreless tie in the second inning, starting with a fielder's choice RBI from Madi Behm that brought home Ella Evans. A wild pitch and a two-RBI single by Mariah Stontz pushed the score to 4-0, all while Koster kept the Bluejays off-balance with five innings of three-hit, scoreless pitching. In the fifth, Augustana extended its lead with a sacrifice fly from Alex Diaz and an RBI single from Abby Maciejews. The sixth inning sealed the deal as Augustana plated three more runs, aided by a right field error and groundout RBI from Diaz. Stontz led the Vikings with a 3-for-4 performance, including two RBIs, while Evans and Maciejews each collected two hits. Elmhurst managed only three hits in the game, with Danielle Hood, Ali Mockenhaupt, and Clara Rice each contributing one. Chiara O'Leary took the loss, giving up eight runs—six earned—over 5.1 innings.
Game two saw Elmhurst strike first, with Bella Swift ripping a two-run double to right center in the bottom of the first, scoring Clara Rice and Mockenhaupt. But Augustana quickly countered with a four-run response in the top half, sparked by a two-run homer from Abby Gradin and a two-RBI double down the left field line by Hannah Nelson. The second inning proved decisive, as the Vikings exploded for six runs. A two-run blast from Alyssa Duke opened the frame, followed by RBI contributions from Gradin, Evans, and Katie Williams. By the end of the inning, Augustana had built a 10-2 cushion. Elmhurst added a third run in the fourth on an RBI single from Alex Kiriakopoulos, but the Vikings tacked on one more in the fifth with an RBI double from Stontz to finalize the 11-3 win. Gradin and Duke both homered and combined for five RBIs, while Emma Hofer earned the win with three solid innings in the circle.
FOLLOW THE BLUEJAYS
Be sure to keep up with all Elmhurst University Athletics content by following the Bluejays on Twitter (@elmhurstbluejay), Facebook (Elmhurst University Athletics) and Instagram (@elmhurstbluejays), and tune in to elmhurstbluejays.com for the latest news and information.
