GAME 1 BOX | GAME 2 BOX

NORTHFIELD, Minn. -- Joe Pierce (SR, Eden Prairie, Minn.) extended his now NCAA Division III-leading active consecutive-game hitting streak to 24 straight games, going 4-for-6 in the two games as the Augsburg College baseball team split a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader at Carleton College on Tuesday afternoon at Mel Taube Field.

Pierce went 1-for-3 with an RBI in Augsburg's (12-14 overall, 4-4 MIAC) 6-5 loss to Carleton (7-18 overall, 4-4 MIAC) in the first game, then went 3-for-3 with three RBI in the Auggies' 11-6, second-game win over the Knights. With a walk and hit-by-pitch, Pierce reached base in six of his eight plate appearances in the doubleheader.

Pierce has now hit safely in 25 of Augsburg's 26 games this season, and his 24-game hitting streak now stands as the longest active streak in NCAA Division III baseball. A 27-game streak by Adam Komorowski of Sewanee (Tenn.) was broken on Sunday, and a 25-game streak by Greg Ferrell of Mount Union (Ohio) was broken in a doubleheader on Saturday. Pierce's streak is currently the fourth-longest streak that has taken place this season in Division III baseball, behind Komorowski, a 26-game streak earlier this year by Mike Galeotiafiore of The College of New Jersey, and Ferrell. 

Augsburg's cleanup hitter, Pierce currently leads the team in all three hitting percentages -- an MIAC-leading .471 batting average, .671 slugging percentage and .505 on-base percentage -- while also leading the team in hits (40), extra-base hits (10) and RBI (29). He has struck out just three times in 93 plate appearances this season. At first base, Pierce also leads Augsburg's regulars in fielding percentage at .995 (one error in 184 defensive chances).

In addition to Pierce's four hits in the doubleheader, Augsburg's John Demgen (JR, Minneapolis, Minn./South HS) and Craig Henry (SR, Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS) also had four hits, with Demgen scoring five runs and Henry driving in four runs while scoring twice. Eric Olson (SR, New Prague, Minn.) had three hits and three RBI, scoring twice. All of Augsburg's 16 hits in the doubleheader were singles.

Four Carleton players had four hits in the doubleheader -- Patrick Philley, Grant Bowen, Russ Fujisawa and Clay Parrish.

In the second game, Augsburg opened the scoring with a run in the first inning on a Henry RBI single. After Carleton tied the game in the second inning, Augsburg went ahead to stay with a four-run third inning. With the bases loaded, a Pierce single brought home two runs, with another coming across on a throwing error on the play. Pierce then scored on a wild pitch.

Demgen and Pierce drove in runs on singles in the fourth inning, an Olson single plated a run in the fifth inning, and three runs came across in the sixth, as Henry and Olson singled, and Trent Anderson (SO, Eagan, Minn.) drove in a run on a sacrifice fly.

In the second game, Carleton scored a run in the first inning and four runs in the fourth before Augsburg rallied. The Auggies scored three runs in the fifth inning, with Henry hitting a two-run single and Pierce driving home a run on a single. The Knights scored a run in the sixth, and the Auggies scored twice in the seventh, with both runs coming across on bases-loaded walks.

Augsburg travels to face St. Mary's in a MIAC doubleheader on Saturday (4/17) at 1 p.m. in Winona, Minn.