BOX SCORE

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – No. 2 seed Augustana defeated No. 7 seed Colorado Mesa 4-2 in round one of the Central 2 Regional.

Augustana improves to 49-10 while CMU drops to 26-23.

Ashley Meyer (25-3) started in the circle for the Vikings and threw 6.0 innings with only three hits and two runs (one earned) allowed while notching six strikeouts.  Chelsey Durland threw the final inning and picked up save No. 14 on the season.

The Vikings were led offensively by Theresa McMahon, who was 2 for 3 with two runs scored, three RBIs, a home run, a double and a walk.

McMahon led off the first inning with her 18th home run of the season, clubbing it over the center field fence to put Augustana up 1-0. CMU tied it in the top of the second when Megan Smith hit her eighth blast of the season into left center.

The Vikings took a 3-1 lead in the third when Chelsi Winskowski doubled to left field and came home on McMahon’s double in the next at-bat.  McMahon moved to third on Jenny Brown’s ground ball out, and then scored on Elizabeth Murray’s ground out.

After an hour and a half rain delay in between the fifth and sixth innings, Colorado Mesa cut the lead to one after Tawnee Woosley singled to start the inning and moved to second on Lita Romero’s sacrifice bunt.  Woosley moved to third when Taylor Gross grounded out to first, and scored when Jessi ca Albertson reached on a fielding error by Augustana’s Lindsay Spanton.

The Vikings added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth after Kelsey Kalkman walked, Matley Jones was hit by a pitch and Chelsey Durland walked to load the bases.  With two outs, McMahon then drew a walk to push Kalkman home.

The Vikings will play No. 3 seed Winona State tomorrow at 11 a.m. in the second round of the Central 2 Regional.