MOORHEAD, Minn. — The Minnesota State University Moorhead softball team was swept in a doubleheader by Augustana on Saturday, losing by scores of 7-2 and 6-1 in Moorhead, Minn.
"We competed well against one of the top teams in our league; we just have to stay out of the big inning," MSUM head coach
Kelsey Fehl said. "We were right in those games if we avoid those. Offensively we are doing a good job of getting runners on base and giving ourselves chances, but are just a few key hits away from breaking through."
In the opener, senior first baseman
Lauren Meeker was 2-for-3 with an RBI in the opener while freshman
Emma Dummer was 2-for-4. Sophomore shortstop
Taylor Roddie was 1-for-4 with one run scored. Senior center fielder
Carly Williamson, freshman left fielder
Madison Paige, freshman designated hitter
Payton Gaber, sophomore catcher
Savanah Tweet, senior second baseman
Jill Fox and sophomore right fielder
Aunica Novacek also had hits for MSUM, which left 14 runners on base.
Freshman
Jordan Hall took the loss for MSUM, going the distance. She struck out two and walked five and allowed seven earned runs.
The Dragons scored first in the opener. With one out, Roddie singled, and moved to second on a single by Paige. Meeker ripped a single up the middle to score Roddie with the game's first run. it was a pair of big innings — a four-run second and three-run third — that propelled the Vikings into the lead.
With two out in the third, Meeker singled and was pinch-ran for by freshman
Taylor Kelenic. Gaber singled, and both runners moved ahead on a passed ball. Tweet's grounder was misplayed at shortstop, allowing Kelenic to score MSUM's second run.
The Dragons stranded runners in all of the last four innings, including leaving the bases loaded twice, but were unable to score another run. Nine of the 14 runners MSUM stranded were in scoring position.
In Game 2, Williamson was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Paige was 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Roddie, Meeker and Novacek also had hits for MSUM.
Freshman pitcher
Tori White took the loss, going the distance. She allowed six runs (five earned), striking out one while walking one.
MSUM fell behind 1-0 early in Game 2 but tied the game in the first. Williamson singled and was sacrificed to second on a bunt by Roddie. Paige crushed a double to left-center to score Williamson to tie the game at 1-1.
A three-run second inning proved pivotal for the Vikings as they build a 4-1 lead. MSUM put two runners on in the fifth to start the inning but a strikeout and ground out ended the threat.
MSUM hosts St. Cloud State on Tuesday for a 2 p.m. doubleheader to continue the Dragons' eight-game homestand.
Note: Paige, who has been limited to pinch-hit duty in recent games because of an injury, made her return to the regular lineup on Saturday. She hit her 12th double of the season in the second game and is now just two away from the single-season record of 14 set by Leah Davis in 2004.
