The Sioux Falls Cougars (16-19, 12-9 NSIC) split their doubleheader against Augustana University (19-11, 14-7 NSIC) at Sioux Falls Stadium, showcasing resilience in Game 1 with a 5-3 victory before faltering in Game 2 12-1. In the opener, timely hitting from William Edwards and Noah Christenson, paired with solid pitching from Brady Baur and Myles Rees, secured the win despite a late Augustana push. The nightcap saw the Cougars' offense stall and their pitching crumble, managing just one run via Isaac Bonner and Carson Jager while Augustana's bats erupted for 14 hits, evening the day's tally.
Game 1: Sioux Falls 5, Augustana University 3
The Cougars opened the doubleheader with a 5-3 win over Augustana. The Vikings struck first when Troy Berg smacked a double to left center field to bring around two to the plate. Sioux Falls answered, scoring three runs in the first inning with an error and clutch hits. William Edwards delivered a two-RBI single, and Isaac Bonner drew a walk for an RBI, building a 3-0 lead.
The Cougars added to their advantage in the third when Noah Christenson's RBI single brought home Jaxon Haase, making it 4-2. They secured the victory with a fifth run in the sixth on Ryan Gouldin's sacrifice fly, scoring Edwards. Augustana scored once more in the sixth, but Myles Rees navigated a bases-loaded threat in the seventh to earn the save. Brady Baur (1-2) picked up the win, allowing two earned runs over six innings, while Augustana's Harry Blum (1-2) took the loss after yielding four earned runs in five innings.
Key Players – Game 1:
Game 2: Augustana University 12, Sioux Falls 1
Augustana stormed back in the second game, overwhelming the Cougars 12-1. The Vikings jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first and kept piling on runs. Sioux Falls managed just four hits against a deep Augustana pitching staff, with their only run coming in the seventh. Carson Jager's RBI single scored Isaac Bonner, who had tripled earlier in the inning, avoiding the shutout at 12-1.
Augustana finished with 14 hits, while Sioux Falls used six pitchers in the loss. Dylan Immel (3-2) took the loss, giving up seven runs in 1.2 innings, and Will Henry (1-0) earned the win in relief for Augustana. The Cougars couldn't sustain their Game 1 momentum, dropping the nightcap decisively.
Key Players – Game 2:
Up Next
The Cougars head to Minot State for a weekend series on April 11-12 at Corbett Field in Minot, N.D. First pitch Friday is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.
