Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Northern State baseball squad rallied late, but couldn't quite catch up to the host Augustana College Vikings Saturday afternoon, allowing the Vikings to escape with a doubleheader sweep to open Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play.  Augustana claimed a 5-1 win in the opener, then fended off the Wolves for a 7-5 win in the nightcap.
 
NSU falls to 5-9 on the season and 0-2 on the young NSIC campaign.  The Vikings moved back above the .500 mark on their season at 7-6 overall and are one of two teams to go 2-0 to start the NSIC loop.
 
The Wolves held the early lead in both games, scoring in the top half of the first inning.  Brent Lawrence got the action started, swiping second base and scoring on a Max Myers single in Game 1 to put NSU up early.  That 1-0 lead stood until the bottom of the fifth, when the Vikings put up a 3-spot on a 3-run homer off the bat of Derek Hansen.
 
The Vikings added another 2-run shot in the bottom of the sixth to go up 5-1 on the Wolves.  Reliever Derek Quame then worked around a lead-off double to right from NSU's Cameron Lehner, retiring the next three batters in order to preserve the win.
 
Tyson Gau got the win for the Vikings, while Quame picked up his first save.  NSU starter Nathan Nietfeld took the loss for the Wolves, going five complete innings and allowing three runs on five hits while striking out six.
 
The Wolves again jumped out to the early lead with a 3-run first inning in Game 2.  Lehner led off the inning and the game with a free pass to first after getting hit by a pitch.  He then took advantage of an Augustana defensive miscue to score an unearned run.  Robbie Rocamora followed with a 2-run single that plated Lawrence and Jesse Gonzalez and gave NSU the quick 3-0 edge.
 
The Vikings, however, responded with a 3-run, 5-hit bottom half of the inning to even the tides.  Augustana tacked on one more run in both the third and fourth innings, followed by a 2-run single in the fourth that made it a 7-3 affair.
 
NSU would not go quietly, however, taking advantage of a bases-loaded opportunity in the top of the seventh.  Sophomore Kyle Nemec drew a bases-loaded walk in a pinch-hit situation to drive in Jack Thompson, who was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning.  Rocamora followed with another RBI single to score Lehner and force the Vikings into a pitching change.  Zach Weindant came on to induce a pair of fly-ball outs to escape the jam and preserve the Viking lead.
 
The Wolves went down in order in the top of the eighth, but put together one last threat in the ninth.  NSU took advantage of a bunt single from Gonzalez and another Viking error to put the tying run on base and the go-ahead run at the plate with one out.  Weindant, however, was able to again escape the situation with a strikeout and another fly ball out to earn his second save of the season.
 
NSU starter Sean Winslow was tagged with the loss for the Wolves.
 
The two teams will meet again on Sunday to close out the 4-game series.  First pitch is slated for noon at Augustana's Ronken Field.