Softball 4/20/02 -- Augsburg 4-11, Macalester 0-1

GAME 1 BOXSCORE
GAME 2 BOXSCORE

MINNEAPOLIS (4/20/02) -- Rachael Ekholm (Sr., Richfield, Minn.) allowed just four hits in picking up two pitching victories, and Kristen Lideen (So., Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park HS) set and tied a school record for extra-base hits, as Augsburg College swept Macalester College, winning 4-0 and 11-1 (five innings) in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference softball doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Edor Nelson Field.

In the second-game rout, Lideen stroked three triples and had a double to tie a school record for triples in a game, set five times previously, and set a school record for total bases in a game with eight. The previous school record, seven, was set five times since 1980, most recently by Ekholm in a 2000 game. Augsburg hit five triples as a team in the second game.

With the sweep, Augsburg's first of the season, the Auggies broke a seven-game losing streak and improved to 7-15-1 overall, 3-9 in MIAC play. Macalester dropped to 2-24 overall and 0-12 in MIAC play. Macalester has lost its last 20 games in a row.

Ekholm flirted with perfection in the first-game win, not allowing a Macalester baserunner until hitting a batter in the fourth inning, while not allowing a hit until the sixth inning. She struck out six in the first game and three in the second. Augsburg's career strikeout leader, Ekholm now has 321 career strikeouts, including 73 this season, now fourth in the single-season record books. Ekholm set the single-season mark of 106 last year.

Augsburg broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the first inning of the first game, as Ekholm hit a run-scoring single to drive in Lideen, and Melissa Lee (So., Cannon Falls, Minn./Randolph HS) hit a single to drive in Becky Ruckel (Fr., Andover, Minn./Anoka HS).

In the fifth, Lee drove in her second run of the game on a single, bringing home Ruckel. Augsburg capped the scoring in the seventh, when Jennifer Lemke (Jr., Kenyon, Minn./Kenyon-Wanamingo HS) doubled. Her pinch-runner, Melynda Kleewein (Fr., Anchorage, Alaska/Dimond HS), scored on a fielder's choice by Lideen.

Lee went 2-for-3 to lead the Auggies, who scattered their eight hits among seven hitters. Adrienne Dorn (Jr., Neenah, Wis.) and Elisha Montoya (Fr., Santa Fe, N.M.) had Macalester's hits in the first game.

Heidi Erickson (So., Prior Lake, Minn.) took the first-game loss for the Scots, despite striking out four with just two walks.

The second game was dominated by Augsburg from the start, as it pounded 11 runs -- all earned -- off of Erickson, who pitched into the fourth. She allowed 11 hits before being relieved by Alisha Seifert (Fr., Mahtomedi, Minn.).

Lideen led off Augsburg's first inning with the first of her two triples in the game, and scored as the next batter, Ruckel, tripled to center field. Lee walked and Jennie LaManna (Sr., South St. Paul, Minn.) brought home Ruckle on a single. Lee later scored on a wild pitch.

After allowing a home run by Macalester's Caitlin Adams (So., Monona, Wis./Monona Grove HS) in the second, Augsburg scored the rest of the runs in the game. Three more runs came across in the second, as Lemke scored on a wild pitch, Lideen doubled and scored on a single by Ruckel, and Ruckel scored on a triple by Ekholm.

Two more runs came across on Lideen's second triple of the day in the third, driving home Lemke and Laura Simones (So., Minneapolis, Minn./Trinity at River Ridge HS). LaManna tripled to drive in two runs in the fourth, and later scored on a wild pitch to cap Augsburg's scoring.

Mindy Evers (Sr., Comfrey, Minn.) pitched the fifth inning for Augsburg.

Lideen went 3-for-3 with two runs scored to lead the Auggies, while Ruckel, Ekholm and LaManna had two hits each. LaManna drove in three runs. Lideen, Ruckel, Lee and Lemke each scored two runs.

Augsburg is scheduled to return to action on Sunday (4/21) with a 2 p.m. nonconference doubleheader at Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, Wis. Both teams return to MIAC action with doubleheaders on Tuesday (4/23) at 4 p.m., Augsburg playing at St. Benedict and Macalester hosting St. Thomas.