SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – No. 1 seed Augustana softball scored a run in five of the six innings it took to defeat No. 5 seed Wayne State (34-20) by the eight-run rule 10-2 on Friday afternoon. The win puts Augustana (49-7) into the semifinals of the NSIC/US Bank Softball Tournament were it will take on No. 2 seed Winona State at 4 p.m. at Sherman Park in Sioux Falls.
 
The Wildcats took the first lead of the game on a two-run home run by Kaiti Williams in the top of the first inning but Augustana, ranked ninth in the country and No. 1 in the NCAA Central Region rankings, answered with three runs in the bottom of the first and second innings to take a 6-2 lead.
 
The Vikings ended the game with 12 hits, with five players recording all of the offensive action for Augustana. Caitlin Nichol finished 3 for 4 with a home run and three runs scored. Carley Pickett was 3 for 3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
 
Sarah Kennedy picked up two hits going 2 for 4 with a run scored. Jordan Schaffer came up with a couple run producing at-bats finishing 2 for 2 with three RBI. Mackenzie Alstott was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
 
The Wildcats spread out six hits in the game, including six off Augustana starter Jenelle Trautmann but she was able to keep them quiet over three innings to earn her 29th win of the season after striking out three in four innings of work.
 
Pickett worked the final two innings, giving up just one hit and striking out four.
 
After Williams' two-run shot in the top of the first inning, Augustana got right to work in the bottom half of the inning getting two runners on after a leadoff single by Nichol and Pickett getting hit by a pitch. Kennedy then singled and two batters later, Carly Peterson drove in Augustana's first run on a fielder's choice to cut the lead in half at 2-1. With two outs in the inning, Schaffer delivered a two-RBI single to center field to put Augustana in front 3-2.
 
The Vikings added to the lead scoring three runs on three hits with two outs in the bottom of the second to push the lead to four at 6-2. Nichol started the inning with her 21st home run of the season, a towering shot to right center, extending the lead to 4-2. Pickett and Kennedy followed the home run with back-to-back singles and Trautmann walked to load the bases. Peterson walked to drive in a run and Schaffer was hit by a pitch in the next at bat to drive in another and give her team a 6-2 lead.
 
Wayne State strung together a pair of hits in the third but Trautmann was able to get out of the inning. After a scoreless third inning, Augustana extended its lead to 7-2 when Kylie Rome reached on a fielder's choice to drive in a run with the bases loaded in the fourth.
 
Pickett entered the game in the fifth and pitched around a hit batter and the offense chipped in another run in the home half of the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Trautmann that scored Nichol, who singled to lead off the inning, making the score 8-2.
 
Pickett stranded two more runners in the sixth after a single and a hit batter in the top of the sixth and the Vikings pushed two runs across in the bottom of the sixth to put the eight-run rule into effect. Alstott and Pickett each singled in a run in the sixth to end the game an inning early and send the Vikings into the semifinals with a 10-2 win over Wayne State.
 
Augustana will now take on No. 2 seed Winona State in the NSIC Softball Tournament. The Vikings and Warriors will square-off at 4 p.m. at Sherman Park in Sioux Falls.