Softball 4/26/02 -- Augsburg 9-8, St. Olaf 0-3

GAME 1 BOXSCORE
GAME 2 BOXSCORE

NORTHFIELD, Minn. (4/26/02) -- Rachael Ekholm (Sr., Richfield, Minn.) hit two home runs in the second game and set multiple school records, while pitching two complete-game victories as Augsburg College swept St. Olaf College, 9-0 and 8-3, in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference softball doubleheader Friday at St. Olaf's Shirley Field.

Ekholm struck out four Oles in each game and ended up going 5-for-7 at the plate in the two games, as Augsburg improved to 9-17-1 overall and 5-11 in MIAC play. St. Olaf dropped to 9-19 overall and 4-12 in the MIAC.

It was the second time that Ekholm has hit two homers in a game this season; she previously accomplished the feat in a 6-3 loss to Clarke (Iowa) at the Rebel Games in Florida on March 26. She is the only Augsburg player ever to hit two homers in a single game, and one of just four MIAC players to accomplish the feat this season.

Her six RBI in Saturday's second game broke the old single-game record of five, set three times previously, including once by Melissa Lee (So., Cannon Falls, Minn./Randolph HS) in a game last season. Her 12 total bases shattered the old record of eight, set twice this season -- by Ekholm in the Clarke game and by Kristen Lideen (So., Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park HS) in a game against Macalester on April 20.

Ekholm hit a two-run homer in the third inning, a two-run triple in the fourth and a two-run homer in the sixth to account for six of Augsburg's eight runs. Augsburg's other runs came across on a single by Jennifer Lemke (Jr., Kenyon, Minn./Kenyon-Wanamingo HS) in the third and a single by Lee in the fourth.

In adition to Ekholm's 4-for-4 performance in the second game, Lideen went 2-for-4 and scored twice, while Lee and Becky Ruckel (Fr., Andover, Minn./Anoka HS) each went 2-for-4 with a run scored.

Ekholm allowed six hits while striking out four and walking one in the first game, and struck out four while allowing five hits and two walks in the second game. Her shutout in the first game was her third of the year and her career-record 13th, breaking the old record of 12 set by Shannon Solem from 1989-92. She now has 88 strikeouts this season, just 18 away from her single-season mark of 106 (set in 2001), and she extended her school career record for strikeouts to 336, more than 100 better than any other Auggie pitcher in school history.

In addition to Ekholm's shutout in the first game, Augsburg had a solid game from Lideen, who went 4-for-5 with two runs scored, an RBI and a double. Ruckel and Lee went 2-for-4 each, with Ruckel scoring twice and Lee scoring once with an RBI. Jennie LaManna (Sr., South St. Paul, Minn.) hit a two-run double in the third inning, while Lemke had two RBI and a sacrifice fly.

Melissa Ohm took the pitching loss for St. Olaf in the first game, while Grete Christenson took the loss in the second game.

Augsburg is scheduled to return to action on Monday (4/29) with a 5 p.m. rescheduled MIAC doubleheader at St. Catherine at Edor Nelson Field. St. Olaf returns to action on Tuesday (4/30) with a nonconference doubleheader at Wisconsin-Stout.