SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A four-run 12th-inning rally ended a 4-4 deadlock and handed No. 25 Augustana its second consecutive victory with an 8-4 decision over No. 18 Drury baseball Saturday afternoon at Mark Worley Field at Meador Park.

After Drury (8-5) mounted a two-out rally in the home half of the seventh to even the score, the respective bullpens took control. Joey Funk delivered six scoreless innings to start his afternoon, while three Augustana relievers combined to hold DU to one run on six hits over the final 7 2/3 innings.

Troy Berg's RBI double after Nate Soelter singled to lead off the 12th would prove to be the tipping point. From that point, the Vikings added run scoring hits by Jake Lundquist and Joshua Koskie to break the game open. Koskie led Augustana (10-4) with a three-hit performance at the plate, while six additional Vikings logged multi-hit afternoons as part of the visitor's 18-hit attack.

Joel Van De Stroet (1-1) picked up the victory after holding the Panthers scoreless on one hit over the final 3.0 innings, following three strong innings from Will Henry and 1 2/3 hitless frames by Will Simmons. In all the three Augustana relivers struck out 10 hitters, led by Van De Stroet's five K's.

Funk (1-1) shouldered the mound setback for the Panthers, despite completing 6 2/3 innings and permitting just three earned runs. 

Just as they did in Friday's series opener, the Panthers drew first blood to take an early lead, this time using a Greydon Miller leadoff single in the second as a catalyst for the game's first scoring rally. Following a fielder's choice grounder by Luke Matschiner, a catcher's interference call put a pair of Panthers on base, and back-to-back wild pitches from AU starter Ethan Hoffman brought in the game's first tally.

The Vikings responded immediately, putting three runs on the board in the top of the third. Bjorn Lind doubled to start the inning, before Koskie added a bunt single to put runners on the corners with nobody out. DU momentarily slowed the Vikings' momentum by spoiling a squeeze attempt and cutting down the lead baserunner at the plate for the first out of the inning.

But Brandon Weigel promptly chopped an infield single to shortstop to bring in two runners for a 2-1 Augustana lead. Weigel wasn't finished, as the junior infielder swiped second than came around for a third Vikings run on Berg's two-out base hit to left.

Weigel continued to inflict damage in the fifth, when he led off the frame with a double before coming around on Cal Schmelzl's single for a three-run Vikings advantage.

But the Panthers began their comeback in the home half of the fifth, when they loaded the bases on a Colin McClure single, a walk and a hit batsman. Logan Reidelberger brought home a run with his bouncer to short, before Connor Bain's sacrifice fly plated a second baserunner to slice the Augustana lead to 4-3.

Drury appeared poised for a breakthrough inning in the sixth, as Matschiner walked, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch before the first out could be recorded. Xander Schmitt drew a walk to put runners on the corners, but Simmons fanned Landon Willbrand for the first out, then induced an inning-ending double-play ground ball to thwart the rally altogether.

The Panthers would push the equalizing run home in the seventh after a Jackson Crider single put a runner aboard with one out. Reidelberger followed with his second hit of the game, before Miller came through with a two-out single to chase home pinch runner Kyler Vaughn from second.

Reidelberg and Miller led the Panthers at the plate with two-hit games and an RBI apiece, whlie Matschiner added a 2-for-5 effort and stole his 10th base of the season.

LOOKING AHEAD
Originally scheduled to play two games Saturday, the Panthers and Vikings elected to postpone the second contest and instead conclude their four-game set Sunday (March 8) with a 12 p.m. twin bill at Mark Worley Field.

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