GAME 1 BOX
GAME 2 BOX

MOORHEAD, Minn. (4/8/03) -- Close games are becoming the norm for the Augsburg College softball team.

Scoring four runs in their last at-bat in regulation play and scoring twice in the top of the 10th inning, Augsburg claimed a 6-4 win over Concordia College-Moorhead in the first game, but Concordia scored the game-winning run in its last at-bat to take an 8-7 win in the second game of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader Tuesday afternoon at Jake Christiansen Field.

Augsburg snapped its seven-game losing streak to move to 4-16 overall and 1-5 in MIAC play, while Concordia moves to 5-10 overall, 1-3 in MIAC play.

Trailing 4-0 after six innings, Augsburg manufactured four runs in the top of the seventh inning to force extra play in the first game. Jennie LaManna (Sr., South St. Paul, Minn.) hit a double, combined with a fielding error, to drive in pinch-runner Melynda Kleewein (So., Anchorage, Alaska/Dimond HS). With two aboard and one out, Trisha Pederson (So., Cloquet, Minn./Proctor HS) reached base on a fielding error, bringing home LaManna. Heather Yerbich (Jr., Blackduck, Minn.) scored on a passed ball, and a groundout by pinch-hitter Emily Crook (Fr., Duluth, Minn./Duluth Marshall HS) plated the tying run with two outs.

Shelley Harris (Fr., Minneapolis, Minn./Southwest HS) came in to pitch for Augsburg in the seventh for starter Rebecca Peters (Jr., Portage, Wis.) and allowed just one hit and a walk over her 3.1 innings to claim the win. Concordia's Jamie Bang got a single in the seventh and stole second and third, but was stranded there on a flyout to force extra innings.

In the 10th inning, the first in which the "international tiebreaker" (placing the last out of the previous inning on second base) is used, Augsburg scored twice to take the lead. Pederson was placed on second and scored after Audra Thimmesch-Gill (Fr., St. Paul, Minn./Central HS) reached base on a fielding error. Kristen Lideen (Jr., Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park HS) reached base on another error to bring home Thimmesch-Gill, and though Augsburg eventually left the bases loaded, it still held a two-run lead.

A sacrifice fly and fielding error put the Concordia tiebreaker runner on third in the bottom of the frame, but Harris was able to retire the final two runners to get the Auggie win.

Concordia scored in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Krystle Abrahamson and three runs in the sixth on a three-run home run by Stacie Johnson. Bang went 2-for-2 with two runs scored for Concordia, while Abrahamson went 2-for-5 and Mandy Pearson went 2-for-4.

Peters struck out three in her 6.2 innings of work, but walked six and allowed eight hits. Gretta Stritesky pitched all 10 innings for Concordia, striking out three while walking four and allowing five hits.

Both teams scored five runs in the first inning of the second game, and kept it close throughout.

After Lideen scored on a passed ball, Christine Matthews (So., Robbinsdale, Minn./Cooper HS) hit her second home run of the season, this one her first collegiate grand slam, to give Augsburg a five-run first inning, a frame that saw nine Auggies come to the plate.

But Concordia followed with five runs in the bottom of the frame, as Johnson hit her second homer of the day, a two-run shot, and the Cobbers scored three runs on a passed ball and two groundouts.

Lideen hit her first home run of the season to open the second inning and give Augsburg a 6-5 lead.

But Concordia scored twice in the sixth inning to take the advantage back. A double by Sam Parker drove in a run, and pinch-hitter Kristina Brakke reached base on an error to bring across another run.

Augsburg tied the game in the seventh, as Lideen reached base on an error and passed ball and came home on a single by LaManna. But the Cobbers won the game in the seventh, as Jill Flatau doubled with two outs to bring home Abrahamson with the game-winner.

LaManna went 3-for-4 with a run scored to lead the Auggies, while Lideen went 2-for-4 with three runs scored, and Mathews went 2-for-4.

Flatau went 3-for-3 to lead Concordia, while Johnson, Parker and Megan Luther had two hits apiece for Concordia.

Both pitchers had complete-game efforts. Harris struck out one for Augsburg, while Stephanie Boesche struck out one while walking three for Concordia.

Both teams return to MIAC action with doubleheaders on Thursday (4/10) at 4 p.m., with Augsburg playing at St. Thomas and Concordia playing at Bethel.