Siegel, Mooney pace Augie baseball in win over SMSU

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Sam Siegel and Parker Mooney had three hits apiece to help lead the Augustana baseball team to a 13-6 victory over Southwest Minnesota State in nonconference action at Ronken Field.

The Vikings jump to 18-6 overall, while the Mustangs fall to 14-10.

Both Mooney and Siegel slugged a double, home run and added three RBI to power the offense. Mooney scored a run while Siegel scored a pair. Nick Banowetz went 2 for 4 with two runs scored in the leadoff spot, and Luke Ballweg went 1 for 1 with a pinch-hit two-run home run. The Vikings knocked 13 hits around the yard and had 10 different batters reach base.

Caleb Kranz struck out six in four innings as the starter. Kai Taylor recorded his first victory of the season after a scoreless fifth frame, and J.D. Hennen struck out a pair in a scoreless eighth inning. The pitching staff struck out 10 on the night.

The Vikings got the ball rolling in the second inning. Joe Kolbeck reached on an error and Ethan Cole walked to open the frame. Siegel delivered a double to the left-center gap to knock them both in and give AU a 2-0 lead.

After a Trevor Winterstein single put runners on the corners, Banowetz delivered a sac fly to score Siegel and Mooney hit a liner off the pitcher to bring home Winterstein and cap a four run inning for AU.

After a scoreless third inning, the Mustangs scored a pair to cut their deficit in half at 4-2. Siegel delivered again for the Vikings, driving a home run to right-center to get a run back, and Hines reached on a dropped fly ball to score Banowetz and put AU in front 6-2.

The Vikings scored three more runs in the bottom of the seventh after an SMSU solo blast in the top of the inning. A Jack Hines single and Drey Dirksen walk led off the inning before a Kolbeck fielder’s choice put runners on the corners. Cole scored Hines on a sac fly for the first run of the inning.

Ballweg entered the game as a pinch hitter following the Cole sac fly. With a 2-1 count, Ballweg sent a blast to right to close the seventh inning scoring and give AU a 9-3 advantage. Mooney followed it up with a two-run homer of his own in the eighth inning, and Maddox Baggs scored Kolbeck and Dirksen with a two-out single to cap the Viking scoring. SMSU scored three in the ninth inning to close out the game.

The Vikings return to Ronken Field on Friday afternoon, hosting UMary for a doubleheader. Action is set to start at 3 p.m.

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