MOORHEAD, Minn. -- For the third time in program history, the Augsburg University softball team clinched a spot in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference postseason playoffs, claiming a doubleheader sweep at Concordia College-Moorhead on Sunday afternoon.

THE BASICS
SCORES: Augsburg 2, Concordia-Moorhead 1; Augsburg 15, Concordia-Moorhead 1 (5 inn.)
LOCATION: Jake Christiansen Athletic Complex, Moorhead, Minn.
RECORD: Augsburg 21-17 overall (13-9 MIAC), Concordia 6-32 overall (2-20 MIAC)

GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS
• Samantha Anderson (JR, Coon Rapids, Minn./Coon Rapids HS) claimed the win in the pitcher's circle for Augsburg, striking out nine while walking two and allowing six hits in a complete-game effort.
• Augsburg's runs came off the bat of Taylor Mattice (SR, Woodbury, Minn./Centennial HS), who hit her first collegiate home run in the second inning, plating Anderson, who had led off the inning with a single. Mattice went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead the Auggies.
• Anesia King (SO, Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti HS) also had two hits in the first game for the Auggies, while also stealing a base.

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS
• Augsburg jumped out to an 8-1 lead after three innings, then scored seven runs in the fourth inning, enabling the Auggies to end the game early due to the NCAA eight-run rule. Augsburg has now won its last six games in a row and seven of its last eight games.
• An RBI single by Anderson and RBI groundout by Katie Parker (SR, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North HS) gave the Auggies the lead in the first inning, and Nell Gehrke (SO, Northfield, Minn./Northfield HS) drove in a run on an error and Carly Dropik (JR, Alexandria, Minn./Alexandria HS) plated a run on a single in the second.
• In the third, Augsburg scored four runs, with Anderson hitting a double, Jacquline Nichols (JR, Royalton, Minn./Royalton HS) hitting a sacrifice fly, Shannon Dale (SO, Watertown, Minn./Watertown-Mayer HS) hitting an RBI single, Gehrke plating a run on a groundout and King plating a run after reaching base on an error.
• Augsburg sent 10 batters to the plate in the fourth, collecting five hits. The Auggies loaded the bases with nobody out, and Mattice hit a sacrifice fly, Dale hit a two-run single, Gehrke hit an RBI single, and King hit a three-run home run, her third homer of the season.
• King, Anderson, Dale and Morgan Malley (JR, Harmony, Minn./Fillmore Central HS) had two hits each for teh Auggies, and each scored two runs, along with Parker, Nichols and Gehrke. King had two stolen bases, with Dropik and Malley also each stealing a base.
• Anderson improved to 15-9 on the season with the complete-game pitching win, striking out six while not walking a batter and allowing just six hits.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• Augsburg clinched a spot in the MIAC postseason playoffs -- expanded to six teams this season due to the wintry weather that plagued the region this month. The Auggies currently stand in fourth place in the MIAC standings, with three teams remaining in the hunt for two postseason spots -- St. Olaf (11-9 MIAC), Carleton (11-11 MIAC) and Bethel (7-11 MIAC). St. Olaf hosts Bethel on Wednesday (5/2), with Bethel also hosting Hamline (8-12 MIAC) on Tuesday (5/1).
• Augsburg will play in one of the two "play-in" games on Thursday (5/3) at 4:30 p.m., though its site and opponent won't potentially be determined until the MIAC season is complete on Wednesday. The two winners from Thursday's games will advance to the four-team, double-elimination portion of the tournament, which will be played at regular-season champion St. Thomas from Friday to Sunday (5/4-6). The playoff champion will receive the MIAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III national tournament.
• It's the third time Augsburg has reached the MIAC postseason playoff since it was established in 2004. The Auggies previously appeared in the tournament in 2008 and 2012.
• Augsburg finished the conference season at 13-9, its most wins in league play since 2012.

FOR THE FOES
• Kayla Nack hit an RBI single in the third inning of the first game, and Taylor Erholtz hit an RBI single in the second inning of the second game.
• Abby Haraldson struck out eight while walking one in the first game.

UP NEXT
• Augsburg closes its regular season with a nonconference doubleheader at Crown on Tuesday (5/1) at 3:30 p.m.
• Concordia closes its season with a nonconference doubleheader against Minnesota-Morris on Tuesday at 1 p.m.