Wayne, Neb. — #16 Augustana won the opener 4-1 and held off a ninth inning rally in the second game as WSC loaded the bases with no outs before the Vikings stopped the Wildcats for a 10-7 win in the nightcap to sweep a Northern Sun Conference baseball doubleheader played Wednesday afternoon at the Pete Chapman Baseball Complex in Wayne. The Wildcats are now 21-14 and 16-9 in the NSIC while Augustana is 29-6 and 21-4 in league action.
The opener saw the visiting Vikings make the most of their four hits in downing the Wildcats 4-1.
Augustana got all four of their hits in a three-run third inning to go with a walk and hit batter to take a 3-0 lead.
The Vikings scored another run in the fourth on a pair of hit batters and failed pick off attempt/throwing error to make the score 4-0.
Wayne State got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth as Quinn McCafferty singled to center field and later scored on a double down the left field line by designated hitter Alex Calabrese to make the final score 4-1.
WSC held a 5-4 advantage in hits in the contest. Calabrese had the lone extra base hit in the game for either team, a double. Carter Thomas, Chase Douglas, McCafferty and Cade Lynam each singled.
Starting pitcher Jackson Shelburne (1-3) was tagged with the pitching loss, giving up four runs on four hits with five strikeouts. Junior reliever Jacob Kneifl worked three hitless innings of relief fanning five batters.
The second game started out as a slugfest in the first two innings with relievers coming in and slowing down both teams offensively.
Both teams scored two runs in the first. WSC used a two-run single by McCafferty that brought home Douglas (walk) and Colin Lynam (single).
Augustana used a six-run second to grab an 8-2 lead, but WSC chipped into the Viking lead by coming up with three runs in the second. Braden Cannon walked and scored on a sacrifice fly by Douglas for the first Wildcat run. Later in the inning Colin Lynam laced a two-run double to center field scoring Cam Madsen (single) and Thomas (walk) to cut the Augustana lead to 8-5.
The Wildcats added another run in the third to make the score 8-6 as with two outs and no runners on base Calabrese walked and came home on a double by Cannon to left center field.
The score stayed 8-6 until the seventh inning when Augustana used a two-run homer to grab a 10-6 lead.
Colin Lynam notched his fourth hit of the game, a solo homer to right field, in the bottom of the seventh to cut the Augustana lead to 10-7.
The game remained 10-7 until the ‘Cats mounted a rally in the ninth as Cam Madsen and pinch-hitter Kyler Essink were each hit by a pitch followed by a single from Douglas to load the bases with no outs. But Augustana got out of the jam with a strikeout and groundout double play to end the game and the Vikings held on for the 10-7 win.
Augustana had one more hit than WSC, 10-9. Colin Lynam went 4 for 5 with a homer, two doubles and three RBI to lead the Wildcats at the plate. McCafferty had a two-run single while Douglas, Madsen, Cannon and Kaden Young each singled. Thomas was 0 for 2 with a pair of walks in the second game, ending his season-high 14-game hit streak.
Freshman Kyler Hanson started the game on the mound for the Wildcats and was one of five pitchers used in the game. Reliever Brody Sintek (1-1) suffered the loss giving up six runs in 1 2/3 innings. Kadyn Van Hill, Eli Crnkovich and Josh Kilzer also worked in relief for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats will be at home again this weekend for a three-game NSIC series against St. Cloud State with a doubleheader Saturday at 12 p.m. and a nine-inning game Sunday starting at 12 p.m.
