MINNEAPOLIS -- The Augsburg University softball team opened its 2025 campaign with a nonconference doubleheader sweep of Crown College at Edor Nelson Field, with both wins in come-from-behind fashion -- 5-3 in the first game and 9-8 in eight innings in the second game.

THE BASICS
SCORES: Augsburg 5, Crown 3; Augsburg 9, Crown 8 (8 inn.)
LOCATION: Edor Nelson Field, Minneapolis
RECORD: Augsburg 2-0 overall, Crown 0-5 overall

GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS
• Trailing 3-0 and hitless through the first four innings, Augsburg exploded for five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, sending nine batters to the plate and collecting five hits. Jaime Olson (JR, Minneapolis, Minn./South HS) drove in a run on a single, Torrie Rehder (SR, Goodhue, Minn./Goodhue HS) hit a three-run double to right-center, and Olivia Funk (SR, Lewiston, Minn./Lewiston-Altura HS) drove in a run on a single to left.
• Morgann Paaske (SR, Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake Central HS) threw a complete-game victory in the first contest, striking out four against three walks and five hits.

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS
• The second game was a back-and-forth affair, with runs scored in all but one of the eight innings in the game.
• Trailing 7-6 going into the top of the seventh, Grace Syson (SR, Oshkosh, Wis./Lourdes Academy HS) led off the frame with a double to center field and came home on a single by Olson, tying the game.
• In the eighth, Funk hit a single to drive in Rehder, and Paaske hit a single to center to bring home Olivia Hennager (JR, Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley HS). With the "international tiebreaker" runner placed on second in the bottom of the eighth, the Auggies surrendered a run on a single and RBI groundout, but the tying run was unable to come home for the Polars, giving the sweep to the Auggies.
• Hennager drove in Rehder on a groundout in the first inning to start the scoring, and Rehder hit a two-run double in the second inning. 
• Syson hit a run-scoring double in the third inning, Funk hit an RBI double in the fourth, and Paaske scored following a fielding error in the fifth.
• Zoe Adkins (JR, Homer, Alaska/Homer HS) made her Auggie debut in the pitching circle, striking out one against one walk in three innings. Funk made her collegiate pitching debut in relief, striking out three against four walks in 1.2 innings, and Paaske got her second pitching win of the day, closing the final 3.1 innings with three strikeouts against a walk.
• Rehder went 3-for-5 with three runs scored, while Funk, Paaske and Syson had two hits each.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• The sweep marked the first collegiate coaching victories for new Augsburg head coach Laura Heise, who had spent 10 seasons in two stints as an Auggie assistant coach before being named head coach this past summer.

FOR THE FOES
• Emmy Romportl struck out four against two walks in a complete-game pitching effort in the first game. She also had three hits in the doubleheader.
• Maria Lilienthal went 4-for-8 with five RBI, a double and triple in the doubleheader for the Polars.

UP NEXT
• Augsburg hosts Martin Luther College in a doubleheader on Saturday (3/8) at 12:30 p.m. at Edor Nelson Field.