Tenth-ranked Augustana held Wayne State to just four runs and nine hits in two games to sweep the Wildcats 12-3 and 9-1 in NSIC baseball action Friday evening at Karras Park in Sioux Falls, S.D.
The opener saw Wayne State limited to just three hits as the Vikings used five-run innings in the second and fifth to take down the Wildcats.
Wayne State scored in the first when Alex Logelin was hit by a pitch and came home on a Travis Miller sacrifice fly. Augustana then scored two runs in the first and five more in the second for a commanding 7-1 lead after two innings.
The Wildcats scored two runs in the third as Logelin blasted a one-out homer over the left field wall, followed by a Bryce Bisenius RBI double that brought home Tanner Simons for the second run. Augustana put the game out of reach with a five-run fifth.
Logelin homered to lead Wayne State at the plate while Bisenius doubled and Garrett Graveline singled for the other hit. Hunter Wienhoff suffered the pitching loss, working four innings. Cedric Moreno worked two innings of relief and gave up two unearned runs on three hits.
The second game saw five Augustana pitchers limit Wayne State to just one run as the Vikings completed the sweep to win their 40th game of the season (40-6).
Similar to the first game, Wayne State scored in the first inning as Logelin opened with a double and scored on a Bisenius sacrifice fly to left field before the Vikings responded with two runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead for good at 2-1.
Augustana added single runs in the second and third for a 4-1 advantage, then added three in the fifth and two more in the seventh to close out the scoring.
The host Vikings held an 8-6 edge in hits over Wayne State. Simons was 3-for-4 with three singles to pace the Wildcats at the plate. Logelin doubled and scored the lone Wildcat run while Jake Lorenzini and Miller each singled.
Dalton Smith was the losing pitcher, allowing three runs on three hits in the first two innings. Brady Johnson and Charles Hasty each pitched two innings of relief while Adam Poldberg and Spencer Johnson each worked one inning of relief.
Wayne State (18-24, 16-16 NSIC) and Augustana meet again Saturday in a 12 p.m. doubleheader in Sioux Falls.
