Big first innings in both games helped visiting Augustana to a 12-3, 9-1 sweep over Wayne State in the Wildcats’ home softball opener Wednesday at the Chapman Complex.
The Vikings struck for seven runs in the first and three more in the second to easily take the opener. Wayne State scored twice in the bottom of the first as Morgan Vasa’s RBI double scored Katelyn Wobken, with Vasa scoring on a Rachel Shumaker RBI single.
Wayne State scored its final run in the fourth when Taylor Menard singled to left, scoring Shumaker. Augustana added two runs in the top of the fifth to end the game in five innings.
Vasa, Wobken and Shumaker each went 2-for-3 to highlight a seven-hit attack, with Vasa and Shumaker each recording RBI’s. Freshman Maddie Moser (2-5) suffered the pitching loss with one inning of relief from junior Alyx Hagen.
The second contest saw the Vikings jump out to an early 4-0 lead in the first, then added four more runs in the fourth to complete the sweep with a six-inning victory.
Wayne State’s lone run came in the third inning when Wobken reached on an error and scored on a triple by Emily Chandler.
The Wildcats had five hits in the game with Shumaker and Chandler each going 2-for-3. Hagen had Wayne State’s other hit. Riley Vanderveen (3-7) was tagged with the pitching loss, working three innings. Moser pitched the final three innings and allowed just one run on three hits.
Wayne State (6-15, 0-2 NSIC) will be at home again Thursday afternoon hosting No. 13 Minnesota State in an NSIC doubleheader starting at 2:30 p.m. The games were moved up one day due to anticipated bad weather later this weekend.
