GAME 1 BOX | GAME 2 BOX

MARSHALL, Minn. - Augustana spoiled Southwest Minnesota State's home opener on Wednesday sweeping a doubleheader winning 2-1 and holding on for a 12-10 victory in game two.

SMSU drops to 16-11 overall, 6-6 NSIC, while Augustana improves to 17-10 overall, 12-4 NSIC.

In game one, Augustana's Derek Hansen was outstanding on the mound, pitching six shutout innings on five hits, while recording 11 strikeouts.  It was Hansen's fourth straight game recording 10 or more strikeouts in a game.  Hansen tied a school record last Friday with 17 strikeouts in a victory over Minnesota, Crookston.

Despite the strikeouts, SMSU had plenty of chances to score and nearly rallied for the victory in the seventh inning.

Augustana took a 1-0 lead on a solo home run by David Borchardt in the first inning.

The game remained 1-0 until the seventh, when the Vikings added another run with a two-out rally.  With two outs, Marcus O'Neill singled for the Vikings and sprinted to third base on a single by Brian Knight and then scored when the throw went into second base to give the Vikings a 2-0 lead.

The Vikings Derek Quame entered the game to pitch in the seventh and SMSU nearly rallied.  Steven Kremer led off with a pinch-hit single and pinch-runner Ryan Engels then moved to second on a walk by Mark Hanson.  Following a strikeout, Jordon Kontz was hit by a pitch to load the bases.  Zach Weinandt then came into pitch for Augustana and coaxed a sac fly by Brian Ness, cutting the lead to 2-1, before ending the game with a strikeout on a 3-2 pitch to Adam Thygesen to seal the victory.

Alex Alvarez (2-2) had a strong start for SMSU on the mound, tossing a season-high 6.2 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and one walk.

SMSU finished the game with six hits and left nine men on base.  Thygesen led SMSU with two hits. 

The Mustangs had the lead off man reach in three of the first four innings, including two doubles, but failed to score.

In game two, Augustana jumped out to a 10-0 lead and held an 11-2 lead in the sixth inning, before SMSU nearly rallied for victory.

SMSU trailed 12-3 in the seventh, but scored four runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth to cut the deficit to 12-10.  In the ninth, SMSU had its leadoff batter reach, but a ground out and back-to-back strikeouts ended the game.

SMSU racked out 17 hits in the nightcap, but committed six errors leading to six unearned runs.

Aaron Johnson (2-3) dropped his second straight decision, allowing six runs, three earned, on seven hits in three innings with one strikeout.

Trailing 10-0 in the fifth, SMSU scored two runs on an RBI single by Kontz and another on a fielding error. 

Down 12-3 in the seventh, SMSU battled back scoring a run on a fielding error and then added two more on a Tyler Flattum two-run single.  Engels made the score 12-7 with an RBI single and was followed by a pinch-hit single by Tanner Neale, but the inning ended on a line out to left field.

SMSU cut into the lead more in the eighth as Hanson and Zach Olson started the inning with back-to-back singles.  Hanson scored the inning's first run on a balk, before Jon Ellis and Kremer hit back-to-back singles to score two more runs and cut the Viking lead to 12-10 and bring the tying run to the plate with just one out.  Augustana's Brian Voigt entered the game and closed the SMSU threat with a strikeout and ground out to keep the two-run lead.

In the ninth, Neale singled to start the inning, but Voigt recorded a ground out and two strikeouts to close out the game.

Southwest Minnesota State will return to the road this weekend for a four-game series at the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D.  Doubleheaders on both Saturday and Sunday begin at 12 p.m.