GAME 1 BOX
GAME 2 BOX

MINNEAPOLIS (4/14/03) -- Kristen Lideen (Jr., Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park HS) set an Augsburg College single-season school record and tied the school's career record for doubles with two in the doubleheader, but it wasn't enough to lift her Auggies in a sweep by visiting Bethel College in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference softball action on Monday evening at Edor Nelson Field.

Bethel swept the Auggies, coming from behind to win 5-4 in the first game and claiming a 7-2 triumph in the second game to improve to 12-10 overall, 4-6 in MIAC play. In falling to 4-22 overall and 1-11 in MIAC play, Augsburg saw its losing streak extended to seven straight games and 14 of its last 15 contests.

With two doubles and an RBI in the first game, Lideen now has 17 doubles this season, breaking the old school mark of 15, set by All-Region selection Juli Gustafson in 1992 and All-American Kristi Ockuly in 1995. The junior shortstop now has 34 doubles in her career, tying her with Ockuly (1992-95) for the school's career record.

Through games on Saturday, Lideen leads the NCAA Division III national rankings in batting average (.529 as of Saturday, now .533), and her doubles per-game total is second-best nationally (0.63 doubles per game as of Saturday, now 0.65).

Augsburg scored four runs in the first three innings of the firs game, but Bethel rallied late to claim the win. Lideen opened the game for the Auggies with a double, and scored on a steal of home. In the third, Augsburg parlayed four hits into three runs, as Audra Thimmesch-Gill (Fr., St. Paul, Minn./Central HS) hit a bunt single and scored on a ground-rule double by Lideen. Lideen scored on a double from Melissa Lee (Jr., Cannon Falls, Minn./Randolph HS), and she scored on an RBI single by Christine Matthews (So., Robbinsdale, Minn./Cooper HS).

The Royals cut the lead with a run in the fourth, as Karrie Bateman (Sr., St. Paul, Minn.) reached on a single and scored on a throwing error.

Bethel scored four runs in the fifth inning on just two hits, with seven batters coming to the plate against Auggie pitcher Cassie Hoss (Fr., Brooklyn Park, Minn./Champlin Park HS). Alyson Sundberg (Jr., St. Paul, Minn.) scored on a bases-loaded walk, and Kara Wager (Jr., Arlington Heights, Minn.) doubled to drive in two runs. Bateman scored on a grounder.

Julie Berthiaume (Jr., St. Paul, Minn.) picked up the pitching win for Bethel, despite giving up 11 hits, as the Auggies stranded six runners on base. Wager and Emily Conover (Sr., Crystal, Minn.) had two hits apiece for Bethel. Lideen and Thimmesch-Gill had two hits apiece for Augsburg.

Augsburg scored the first two runs of the second game, but bethel dominated after that, as pitcher Angela Vedders (Fr., Foreston, Minn.) limited Augsburg to just six hits while striking out three and not walking a batter.

Run-scoring singles by Jennie LaManna (Sr., South St. Paul, Minn.) and Jessie Bowman (Fr., St. Louis Park, Minn.) gave Augsburg an early advantage.

Bethel scored twice in the third inning, as Rachel Grams (So., Glencoe, Minn.) hit a run-scoring triple and Wager hit a sacrifice fly to bring in a run. Three more came across in the fourth inning, as Conover drove in a run on a triple and scored on a wild pitch, and Grams hit a single to bring in a run.

In the seventh, the Royals clinched the game with two runs, taking advantage of two Augsburg errors -- the Auggies had five in the game -- and a passed ball to score their runs.

Starter Shelley Harris (Fr., Minneapolis, Minn./Southwest HS) took the loss for Augsburg, pitching six innings.

Both teams return to MIAC play on Wednesday (4/16) at 4 p.m., with Bethel playing at St. Mary's and Augsburg playing at Macalester.