Softball 5/1/02 -- Carleton 11-2, Augsburg 0-3
GAME 1 BOXSCORE 
GAME 2 BOXSCORE

MINNEAPOLIS (5/01/02) -- Carleton College's Andrea Carroll (Jr., Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS) pitched a five-hit shutout in the first game, and Augsburg College's Kristen Lideen (So., Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park HS) hit a two-out single to drive in the game-winning run in the botom of the seventh inning of the second game, as the Knights and Auggies split a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference softball doubleheader at Edor Nelson Field Wednesday evening.

Carleton won the first game 11-0 in five innings, and Augsburg won the second game 3-2. Carleton is now 17-17 overall and 10-10 in MIAC play, while Augsburg is now 10-20-1 overall and 6-14 in MIAC play. With the split, Augsburg has cinched a double-digit win season for the 16th time in head coach Carol Enke's 17-season tenure, and 23rd time in the last 24 years.

Carroll shut down the Auggies in the first game, striking out seven and allowing just five singles, while not walking a batter. Meanwhile, the Knights pounded 13 hits off of Auggie starter Mindy Evers (Sr., Comfrey, Minn.), scoring seven runs in the final two innings to clinch the early win by the eight-run rule.

After leadoff hitter Stephanie Lee (So., Beaverton, Ore.) walked to open the game, Ly Nguyen (Sr., Golden Valley, Minn./Blake HS) looped a hit over a drawn-in outfield that skated all the way to the deep-center fence. Nguyen sprinted around the bases for an inside-the-park, two-run home run to give the Knights the early lead. Megan Storey (Jr., Portland, Ore.) hit a double to drive in a run in the first, and Amanda Espinosa (Fr., St. Paul, Minn./Central HS) stroked a double to center to drive in a run in the third.

Carroll helped her own cause by nailing a three-run homer to center field in the fourth inning. The Knights scored four more runs in the decisive fifth inning, as pinch hitter Katia Dunkel (Sr., Hartsdale, N.Y./Fieldston School) stroked a run-scoring double, Lee hit a two-run single and Carroll brought in a run on a sacrifice fly.

Lee went 2-for-3 to lead the Knights, scoring three runs. Espinosa and Abby Kalland (So., Northfield, Minn.) each went 2-for-3 each and scored a run, and Carroll ended up 2-for-3 with four RBI. Lideen was the lone Auggie to notch two hits in the first game, going 2-for-3.

The second game ended up a pitching duel between Carleton's Carroll and Augsburg's Rachael Ekholm (Sr., Richfield, Minn.). Ekholm ended up striking out four while allowing eight hits and three walks, and Carroll struck out six and allowed just six hits and no walks.

Augsburg struck first with a two-run second inning. Melissa Lee (So., Cannon Falls, Minn./Randolph HS) singled to left center, and was moved around on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Jennie LaManna (Sr., South St. Paul, Minn.). The throw to scond sailed into the outfield, and both Lee and LaManna advanced a base. Lee scored on another throwing error on a pickoff attempt, and Christine Matthews (Fr., Robbinsdale, Minn./Cooper HS) tripled down the right-field line to bring LaManna home.

The Knights tied the game in the fourth, as Vickie Gunderson (Fr., Elk Grove Village, Ill.) singled and later scored on a single by Leslie Barry (Fr., Louisville, Ohio.). Kalland hit a double to center to drive in pinch-runner Alyssa Honnette (So., Jackson, Minn./Jackson County Central HS) and tie the game.

Carleton had a chance to bring in more runs in the fifth, as it loaded the bases with one out. But Ekholm was able to get a key strikeout and caught a two-out popup to end the threat. Carleton left two more runners on base in the sixth and one in the seventh, ending up with 10 runners left on base in the game.

The game-winning rally began when Augsburg's Melynda Kleewein (Fr., Anchorage, Alaska/Dimond HS) reached base on a bunt single. She moved to second on a groundout, and came around to score when Lideen smacked a two-out single just past the third baseman and down the left-field line.

Augsburg was led by Lee's 2-for-3 performance, while Nguyen went 3-for-4 to lead the Knights.

Both teams finish their seasons on Saturday (5/4) with MIAC doubleheaders at 1 p.m., Augsburg playing at Bethel and Carleton hosting Gustavus.