The University of Sioux Falls baseball team earned a doubleheader split with Augustana College on Saturday afternoon at Harmodon Park. The Cougars won game one in nine innings, 6-5, but fell in the nightcap by an 11-3 score.

With the split, the Cougars move to 10-26 and the Vikings sit at 22-13.

In game one, the Vikings opened scoring in the top of the second when Brian Voigt doubled and was plated on a sacrifice fly by Brian Knight.

The Cougars answered with two runs in their half of the frame. Zach Ireland singled to right field and came around to score on a two-bagger by Brenndan Ward. Brady Nolz followed with an RBI single to left field.

After a quiet third inning, the Vikings tied the game in the fourth when Jack Goihl reached base after an error by the Cougar shortstop. He scooted to third after a Voigt single and another error on the Cougar shortstop and touched home on a ground out by Jake Kurth.

USF got the lead right back with two runs in the bottom of the fourth, Ireland and Dylan Dwyer posted back-to-back one out singles before an error by the Vikings shortstop paved the way home for Ireland and moved Dwyer to third. Ward's sacrifice fly scored Dwyer and put the Cougars in front 4-2.

The teams traded runs in the sixth inning, as Voigt led off the Vikings' half of the frame with a solo shot off of Cougar southpaw Noah Coleman. For the Cougars, Dwyer reached base on a fielder's choice and was scored courtesy of a left field base hit by Anthony Williams.

A four hit, two run seventh by the Vikings tied the game at 5-5 and pushed the game into extras as the Cougars failed to score in the bottom of the inning.    

After a scoreless eighth, the Vikings got the lead-off man on in the ninth after an error by the USF shortstop but reliever Andrew Christensen retired the next three batters to keep the game tied going into the bottom of the frame.

After Nolz opened the ninth with a fly-out, Williams drew a walk and was moved into scoring position on Austin Goodenow's sacrifice fly. After an intentional walk to Jimmy Maxwell, the stage was set for designated hitter Keith Cutler. The Platte native did not disappoint; knocking an RBI single to right field to score Williams and clinch the walk-off win for the Cougars.

Christensen (3-2) earned the win in relief, allowing just one hit in two innings of work while also posting one walk and a pair of strikeouts.

Williams, Ireland and Ward each had two hits for the Cougars. Cutler finished 1-for-5 with the game-winning RBI single.

The Vikings would cruise in the nightcap, scoring runs in all but the third and fourth innings en route to an 11-3 victory and a Saturday split with the Cougars.  

Augustana converted a pair of singles and a fielder's choice into a run in the top of the first before David Borchardt blasted a three-run homer in the second inning to give the Vikings the 4-0 advantage.

USF answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning and tacked on another in the third on a sacrifice by Damian Kardas to trim the deficit to one run.

After a sacrifice fly moved the Vikings ahead 5-3 in the fifth, the visitors exploded for six runs between the sixth and seventh frames.

Viking starting pitcher Brian Voigt limited the Cougars to two hits total in the fourth, fifth and sixth frames before handing the baseball to Derek Hansen who recorded a hitless seventh to preserve the win.  

Chris Nichols (1-3) gave up 13 hits and seven earned runs to take the loss for USF.

Six different players accounted for the Cougars' six hits. Kardas finished 1-for-3 with an RBI.  

The teams will conclude their home-and-home series tomorrow at Ronken Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.