GAME 1 BOX | GAME 2 BOX

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. -- Jason Kickhafer (SR, Cottage Grove, Minn./Park HS) struck out five in a complete-game, four-hit shutout win in the first game, and Alex Glasenapp (JR, Minneapolis, Minn./South HS) struck out a career-high nine hitters while allowing just three hits and a run in six innings of work in the second game, as Augsburg College scored an important sweep of Bethel University in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference baseball doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon at Bethel's Hargis Park.

Brent Kolbow (FY, Forest Lake, Minn.) hit his first collegiate home run in the first game, a 6-0 Auggie victory, and Joe Pierce (JR, Eden Prairie, Minn.) drove home the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning in the second game, a 2-1 Auggie triumph.

With the sweep, Augsburg (16-14 overall, 7-5 MIAC) kept pace in the race for the four-team MIAC postseason playoffs. The Auggies moved into fourth place in the MIAC race, while Bethel (15-15 overall, 6-6 MIAC) is now tied for fifth place with five other teams.

Wednesday's game was played at Bethel's home field due to scheduling conflicts at Augsburg's home park, Parade Stadium. Augsburg was the designated home team in both games.

In the first game, Kickhafer collected his third collegiate shutout in his fifth collegiate complete-game effort, striking out five while walking one and allowing just four hits. He only allowed two Bethel runners to reach second base in the game.

Meanwhile, Augsburg had seven hits and took advantage of three Bethel errors to score the first-game win. Kolbow went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, hitting his first collegiate home run on a two-out, two-run shot in the fourth inning. Craig Henry (JR, Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS) went 2-for-3 at the plate with a double, RBI single and two runs scored, and Donald Blunt (SO, Richfield, Minn.) went 2-for-3 with two RBI.

Augsburg built a 3-0 lead in the first inning off of Bethel starter Travis Adams (SR, Chanhassen, Minn./Minnetonka HS) -- a pitcher who entered Wednesday's doubleheader having not surrendered a run in his first four MIAC starts. Augsburg's first four batters reached base safely, and an RBI single by Henry and a two-run single by Blunt gave the Auggies a 3-0 lead.

Henry doubled in the third inning, stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Eric Olson (JR, New Prague, Minn.), and Kolbow's two-run blast in the fourth capped the scoring for the Auggies.

Adams struck out six while not walking a batter in five innings of work for the Royals.

In the second game, Augsburg rallied from behind to claim the extra-inning win, its third extra-inning win of the season. In the sixth inning, the Auggies tied the game with an unearned run, as James Panning (SR, Gibbon, Minn./Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop HS) singled, moved to second and scored following a throwing error on a double-play attempt.

Kolbow led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a double down the left-field line, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Panning, and scored a single through the left side of the infield by Pierce to give the Auggies the win.

Bethel's lone run of the doubleheader came in the third inning, as Ryan Doheny (SR, Anoka, Minn.) scored on a sacrifice fly by Tim Oesterlin (JR, Rochester, Minn./John Marshall HS).

Glasenapp struck out nine, while reliever Mark Heise (JR, Foley, Minn.) pitched two innings of scoreless, hitless relief, striking out two while walking one, to pick up the win.

Both teams return to action with MIAC doubleheaders on Saturday (4/18) at 1 p.m., as Augsburg plays at St. Thomas and Bethel hosts St. Mary's.