CROOKSTON, Minn.-  The University of Minnesota Crookston softball team fell 14-2 and 8-0 to No. 18 Augustana College (S.D.) Sat., April 11 at UMC Softball Field in Crookston, Minn. Augustana hit seven home runs in the windy conditions Saturday. The Golden Eagles fall to 4-30 (0-16 NSIC) with the pair of losses. Augustana moves to 35-5 (16-0 NSIC) with the wins.

Brooke Vatthauer (Sr., LHP, Crookston, Minn./Health Science) got the game one start for UMC and went two innings in the loss, giving up six earned runs on seven hits. Sammy Knudson (So., RHP, Fergus Falls, Minn./Health Science) would come on in relief and give up eight runs, three of them earned, on seven hits.

Caitlin Nichol would start out the scoring for Augustana in the first with a solo home run. Sarah Kennedy followed suit with a home run of her own to drive in herself and Carley Pickett, to put the Vikings ahead 3-0.

Augustana would add a run in the second.

The Golden Eagles would cut the lead to 3-1 in the second when Gabriel Antolak (Fr., C, Zimmerman, Minn./Equine Science) singled to drive in Josee Plante (Sr., 3B, Manitou, Manitoba/Health Science).

Augustana would add three runs in the third led by home runs from Kennedy and Jenelle Trautman.

UMC would add a home run of their own in the third as Allison Foley (Jr., SS, Lockport, Ill./Accounting) belted one over the left field fence.

Augustana would add five runs in the fourth and fifth led by a Trautmann two-run double and a Jordan Schaffer home run.

The win for the Vikings went to Trautmann, who went four innings and gave up two earned runs on five hits with six strikeouts.

The Golden Eagles were led in game one by Antolak, who was 2-of-2 with one RBI.

In game two, Bailey Braatz (So., RHP, Buffalo, Minn./Sports and Rec Management) got the start and would pitch well early, giving up just two earned runs in the first three innings. Braatz would give up six earned runs on eight hits in the game. Jordyn Derflinger (Jr., RHP, Henderson, Nev./Elementary Education) also pitched, going one inning and giving up two earned runs on three hits.
The Vikings added a run in the first as Kennedy belted her third home run of the game, driving in herself and Pickett.

Augustana would add four runs in the fourth led by Pickett, who doubled to drive in Nichol and Kylie Rome.

The Vikings added two in the sixth as Nichol doubled to drive in Morgan Beaner. Kennedy would single to drive in Nichol.

Alexis Khoshaba (Jr., OF, Richmond, British Columbia) led the Golden Eagles, going 2-of-3 for the game.

Pickett got the win in game two for Augustana, going five innings and giving up no runs on five hits.

The Golden Eagles will return to action Sun., April 12, taking on Wayne State College (Neb.) at 1 and 3 p.m.

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website at www.goldeneaglesports.com.

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The University of Minnesota Crookston is a NCAA Division II university located in the Red River Valley of Northwest Minnesota. UMC sponsors 11 intercollegiate athletic teams with membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate conference (NSIC) and the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA). The NSIC is a 16-team conference with schools situated in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.