GAME 1 BOX | GAME 2 BOX

ST. JOSEPH, Minn. -- Jessa Hinz (JR, Richfield, Minn.) had five hits in eight at-bats, and #C.J. Rice# (SO, Dayton, Minn./Elk River HS) and Kylee Persing (SO, Mound, Minn./Mound-Westonka HS) hit home runs, as Augsburg College split a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference softball doubleheader at the College of St. Benedict on Saturday afternoon.

Augsburg (15-11 overall, 5-3 MIAC) claimed a 6-3 win in the first game, while St. Benedict (7-11 overall, 2-2 MIAC) scored a 7-6 win in the second game.

Melissa Larsen (SR, Andover, Minn.) pitched 10.1 innings for the Auggies with five strikeouts against just two walks. She pitched a complete-game victory in the first game, striking out four while walking one, with all three runs charged to her being unearned. In the second game, Larsen pitched in relief of starter Persing and took the loss, with two unearned runs among her four runs allowed.

Augsburg scored in each of the first four innings in the first game, with a run on a wild pitch in the first inning, a two-run homer by Persing in the second inning, a run on an error in the third inning and two unearned runs after an error in the fourth.

Bri Dorale (FY, Ramsey, Minn./Anoka HS) scored two runs for the Auggies in the first game, as did Persing. Hinz and Laura Strandell (JR, Pine Island, Minn.) had two hits each, with Hinz stroking a double. Dorale also had two stolen bases in the game, giving her a conference-leading 21 steals in 23 attempts this season.

In the second game, Augsburg took an early 2-0 lead, but the Blazers scored five straight runs and scored twice in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead for good.

Augsburg's Brittney Bruzek (JR, Alexandria, Minn./Jefferson HS) singled home Dorale in the first inning, and Bruzek stroked a sacrifice fly to plate Jennifer Castillo (JR, Minneapolis, Minn./Washburn HS) in the third.

After the Blazers took a 5-2 lead, the Auggies scored four runs in the top of the fifth inning, with Hinz hitting an RBI single, Castillo hitting an RBI groundout, and Rice stroking a two-run homer to center field. But the Blazers took the lead back with two runs in the bottom of the frame.

Castillo went 4-for-4 at the plate for the Auggies in the second game, scoring two runs, while Hinz went 3-for-4 and Dorale went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Shannon Eveland and Devin Bowlin had three hits each for St. Benedict in the doubleheader, with Eveland scoring twice.

Augsburg returns to MIAC play on Wednesday (4/14) at 4 p.m., hosting Carleton at Edor Nelson Field.