MINNEAPOLIS -- Allowing just eight hits in the doubleheader, strong pitching enabled the Augsburg College softball team to claim a sweep of Carleton College in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action on Saturday afternoon. The Auggies won 2-0 and 10-2 in five innings.

THE BASICS
SCORES: Augsburg 2, Carleton 0; Augsburg 10, Carleton 2 (5 inn.)
LOCATION: Edor Nelson Field, Minneapolis
RECORD: Augsburg 16-10 overall (4-4 MIAC), Carleton 9-11 overall (2-6 MIAC)

GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS
• Samantha Anderson (SO, Coon Rapids, Minn.) pitched a two-hit shutout -- her fourth of the season and sixth of her career -- to lift the Auggies to the victory. She struck out six while walking one and retired the final 16 batters she faced, setting down the side in order in the last five innings of the game. Anderson is now 10-5 on the year.
• The Auggies took the lead in the third inning, when Brianna Cline (SR, St. Clair, Minn.) walked, stole second and scored on a two-out RBI single by Haley Larson (SR Shakopee, Minn./Prior Lake HS).
• Jacquline Nichols (SO, Royalton, Minn.) singled and advanced to second on an error in the fifth inning. Pinch runner Anesia King (FY, Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti HS) moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Carly Dropik (SO, Alexandria, Minn.) and scored on an RBI single by Cline.

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS
• Courtney Larsen (SR, Little Canada, Minn.) allowed just six hits while not walking a batter to help the Auggies to the second-game win, improving to 4-5 on the season.
• Both teams scored in the first inning, with Augsburg gaining its run when Amanda Niznik (SR, Columbia Heights, Minn.) singled home Katie Parker (JR, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North HS).
• Carleton took a 2-1 lead in the third inning, but the Auggies scored nine straight runs after that, ending the game in the fifth inning via the NCAA eight-run rule. Three runs came across in the third inning, as Parker doubled and scored on a wild pitch, Larson singled and scored on a single by Hollywood Hermanson (FY, Dover, Minn./Dover-Eyota HS), and Nichols walked and came around to score when Taylor Mattice (JR, Woodbury, Minn./Centennial HS) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
• Two more runs scored in the fourth, as Augsburg took advantage of two Carleton errors. Two runs came across on an overthrow of a sacrifice bunt by Nichols.
• The Auggies ended the game early in the fifth inning. Hermanson led off the inning with a double -- her first collegiate extra-base hit. Cline singled, and the two runners scored on a single by Parker. Parker then scored on a double by Larson to end the game.
• Cline, Parker, Larson and Hermanson had two hits each for the Auggies, and Parker scored four runs while adding two RBI.

FOR THE FOES
• Corrie Lucchesi and Emily Boxrud had base hits for Carleton in the first game. Sam Kile pitched a complete game, striking out five while walking two.
• Ari Zuaro hit a double and scored a run for the Knights in the second game, while Katie Eppard also had a hit and run. Kile and Lucchesi each drove in a run.

UP NEXT
• Augsburg travels to face Saint Benedict on Sunday (4/9) at 1 p.m.
• Carleton hosts St. Catherine on Sunday at 1 p.m.