GAME 1 BOX SCORE
GAME 2 BOX SCORE

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Jordan Kontz finished 2 for 3 with two RBIs, while Adam Thygesen snapped a 1-1 game with a fifth inning RBI single to lead Southwest Minnesota State to a 9-3 victory over Augustana in game one of a doubleheader in Sioux Falls, S.D.   

Augustana picked up the victory in game two, building a 7-0 lead after four innings, before holding on for a 7-6 victory. 

SMSU's victory in the opener snapped an 11-game home winning streak for Augustana.  

SMSU is now 8-11 overall, 4-4 NSIC, while Augustana is 20-10 overall, 12-2 NSIC.

In game one, Brian Ness finished 2 for 4 with an RBI, a run scored and a double for SMSU, while Tyler Flattum was also 2 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI.  Tyler Fayden also added two hits and scored two runs.

Aaron Johnson tossed 6.2 innings to earn the victory on the mound for SMSU, allowing three earned runs and nine hits with two strikeouts to improve to 2-1 on the season.

SMSU opened the game's scoring in the second inning as Fayden led off the inning with a double and came around to score on a run-scoring single by Kontz.  SMSU nearly added to the lead, putting runners on second and third with just one out, but a pair of fly outs ended the threat.  

Augustana left the bases loaded in the third inning, but answered in the fourth inning on a bases loaded bunt single to tie the game.  The Vikings again left the bases loaded in the inning as Johnson coaxed a fly out.

SMSU took advantage and pushed across eight runs on six hits and two Viking errors in the fifth to put the game away.

Chris Eichten started the inning with a single and moved to third on a passed ball and fielding error.  With runners on the corners and no one out, Thygesen singled to give SMSU a 2-1 lead.  Ness singled to drive in another run and give SMSU a 3-1 advantage, before Fayden followed with another single to load the bases.  Kontz pushed the lead to 4-1 with a sacrifice fly, before Flattum gave SMSU a 5-1 lead with an RBI single.  Tyler Jendro walked with the bases loaded to make the score 6-1, before Eichten reached on a fielder's choice RBI grounder.  Doug Mead answered with an RBI single, before SMSU closed the scoring on a wild pitch to build a 9-1 lead.

The Vikings closed the game scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh.

In game two, Augustana scored a run in the first and then added four runs in the third, three unearned, to build a 5-0 lead.  The Vikings scored two more runs in the fourth, before SMSU started its rally.

Ben Korger put SMSU on the board with an RBI single if the fifth inning to score Kontz from second base.  The Mustangs loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth, but scored just one run, on a double play ground out by Kontz.

Trailing 7-2 into the eighth inning, SMSU made it interesting by scoring four runs and nearly tied the game.  Mead was hit by a pitch to begin the inning and moved to second after a walk to Thygesen.  Ness then smacked an RBI single to cut the lead to 7-3.  Kontz cut the deficit to 7-4 with a run-scoring single to put runners on the corners with one out and bring the tying run to the plate.  The Vikings' closer, Bret Severtson, entered the game and Cody Curry greeted him with an RBI single to score Ness and make the score 7-5.  An error by the Augie first baseman put runners on second and third with just one out as SMSU was just 90 feet from tying the game, but Severtson got out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts to end the threat.

SMSU had one more chance in the ninth as Thygesen lead off with a single, but two fly outs and a pop out ended the game.

Curry finished 2 for 4 with an RBI for SMSU, while Kontz was 1 for 4 with two runs scored and one RBI.  Thygsen collected a hit, walked three times and scored two runs.

Tyler Jendro started on the mound for SMSU and lasted just 2.2 innings, allowing five runs, two earned, on five hits with two walks and one strikeout.  The Mustang bullpen allowed just two runs and five hits in the 5.1 innings to keep SMSU in the game.

SMSU will continue NSIC play this weekend with its first home games of the season.  The Mustangs take on Upper Iowa in a four-game series at Alumni Field on Saturday and Sunday.  Saturday's twinbill is set to begin at 1 p.m.