GRINNELL, Iowa -- The Augsburg University baseball team opened its 2026 season with a nonconference doubleheader at Grinnell College on Monday at Pioneer Park, falling in both contests with final scores of 6-3 in game one and 4-3 in game two.

THE BASICS
SCORES: Grinnell (Iowa) 6, Augsburg 3; Grinnell (Iowa) 4, Augsburg 3
LOCATION: Pioneer Park, Grinnell, Iowa
RECORD: Augsburg 0-2 overall, Grinnell 6-11 overall

GAME 1 RECAP
In the first game, the Auggies tallied 10 hits, with Stanley Regguinti contributing a double and a triple. Grinnell took an early lead in the first inning with an unearned run scored on a sacrifice fly, giving it a 1-0 advantage. Augsburg responded in the second inning when Ethan Hathaway delivered a two-RBI single, pushing the Auggies ahead with a 2-1 lead. However, the Pioneers equalized in the fifth inning with a sacrifice fly. The sixth inning saw Grinnell pull ahead significantly, scoring four runs through an RBI walk, an RBI single, and a hit-by-pitch, giving Grinnell a 6-2 lead. The Auggies attempted a comeback in the seventh inning when Hathaway doubled and later scored on an error, but ultimately fell short.

Austin Lang provided a strong start for Augsburg, pitching 4 2/3 innings and allowing only one earned run on one hit with two walks and one strikeout, maintaining a low WHIP of 0.71. Caleb Tays faced challenges in relief, allowing four earned runs on two hits and three walks in just 2/3 of an inning. Will Haverly contributed briefly, pitching 2/3 of an inning and allowing one hit without surrendering any runs. Hathaway led the offense with two hits, including a double, and two RBIs. Drew Jenkins scored once and stole two bases, while Jack Huberty added two hits, one a double, and scored a run.

GAME 2 RECAP
In game two, the contest remained closely contested. Grinnell took the lead in the third inning with a single from Joe Chanis and an RBI from Connor Goodson. They added another run in the fifth inning to make it 2-0. Augsburg got on the board in the sixth with a single from Drew Jenkins, followed by an RBI from Aaron Jones, cutting the deficit to 2-1. The seventh inning saw a dramatic turn when Augsburg's Ethan Hathaway reached on an error and scored on a double by Regguinti. Jenkins followed with a single, giving the Auggies a 3-2 lead. However, Grinnell responded promptly, scoring two runs in the bottom half to take the game 4-3.

Manny Weiss pitched effectively for the Auggies in game two, completing four innings while allowing one earned run on three hits and striking out four. Nick Allbee contributed one inning in relief, conceding one earned run on three hits. Keenan Dingmann held Grinnell scoreless in his inning of work, though he issued two walks. Jack McCabe faced difficulties, allowing two earned runs in 2/3 of an inning. Regguinti again shone at the plate with two doubles and one RBI. Jenkins tallied two hits, walked twice, and stole a base, while Jones recorded a hit and drove in one run.

UP NEXT
The Auggies look to bounce back as they travel to face Buena Vista University in a nonconference doubleheader on Tuesday, March 24 at 2 p.m. in Storm Lake, Iowa.