GAME 1 BOX | GAME 2 BOX

MINNEAPOLIS -- Augsburg College pitcher Kylee Persing (SO, Mound, Minn./Mound-Westonka HS) struck out out six in a one-hit shutout in the second game, while Melissa Larsen (SR, Andover, Minn.) struck out four in a complete-game victory in the first game, as the Auggie softball team scored a doubleheader sweep of Northwestern College-Roseville on Saturday afternoon at Augsburg's Edor Nelson Field.

Augsburg (10-8 overall) won the first game 5-4, while scoring a 5-0 win in the second game over Northwestern (5-9 overall). Augsburg's 10-8 overall record is its best start to the season after 18 games since the 1995 campaign, when the Auggies opened 10-8 en route to a 20-18 overall finish.

After allowing a first-inning hit, Persing allowed just three baserunners the rest of the way in the second game, with no Eagle batter reaching second base in the game. Persing retired the last 10 batters in a row, and 16 in her last 17 batters faced, to improve to 5-2 on the season. She had just one walk and one hit batter in the game.

Meanwhile, Augsburg jumped on the board early, scoring four runs on just one hit in the first inning. After an RBI single by Jessa Hinz (JR, Richfield, Minn.) plated Bri Dorale (FY, Ramsey, Minn./Anoka HS), four straight walks enabled two more runs to score in the first inning. Larsen drove in a run on a groundout to cap the Auggie scoring in the opening frame.

In the third inning, Persing doubled to left-center to drive in Stephanie Saxe (SO, Stacy, Minn./North Branch HS), which capped the Auggie scoring.

In the first game, Augsburg took an early 2-0 lead, but after giving up four runs to the Eagles in the third inning, the Auggies rallied back with three runs in the fourth inning to claim the win.

Brittney Bruzek (JR, Alexandria, Minn./Jefferson HS) hit a run-scoring double in the first inning for the Auggies, and Persing doubled and scored on a groundout by Larsen in the second inning.

Northwestern scored four runs in the third inning, collecting five hits and taking advantage of error, while sending nine batters to the plate. Briana Rodgers (FY, Monticello, Minn.) and Abby Eagen (JR, Forest Lake, Minn.) drove in two runs each on singles in the inning.

But Augsburg came back in the fourth. After a single and walk with two outs, a hard-hit ball by pinch-hitter #C.J. Rice# (SO, Dayton, Minn./Elk River HS) resulted in a fielding error, enabling both baserunners to score. A double by Jennifer Castillo (JR, Minneapolis, Minn.) plated the go-ahead run to end the Auggie scoring.

After a lineout double-play ended the fifth inning, Northwestern was only able to get one more baserunner the rest of the way against Larsen, as she retired six of the last seven batters she faced.

Bruzek went 2-for-3 in the first game, as did Larsen for the Auggies. Rodgers and Eagen each went 2-for-3 for the Eagles in the first game.

Augsburg opens Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Wednesday (3/31) at 4 p.m., hosting Macalester at Edor Nelson Field. Northwestern opens Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play on April 6 at 3 p.m., hosting Crown.