The Lindenwood baseball team (5-7) split a neutral-site series with the defending national champion and top-ranked Augustana Vikings on Sunday from Arkadelphia, Ark. The Lions used a four-run seventh inning to prevail in the series-opening game by a final score of 5-1.
 
GAME ONE OVERVIEW
Lindenwood took an early 1-0 lead, scoring in the first inning as Alex Gauspohl came around to score after a leadoff walk. The Lions carried their one-run lead into the fifth inning, before the Vikings pulled even. The game remained tied until the seventh inning, when Lindenwood broke out with four runs. Kolby Schulte, Ryan Venne, and Kyle Stevens all singled during the four-run seventh inning for the Lions, while Mitchell Krebs, DJ Miller, and Gauspohl all reached base via walk or hit by pitch. Lindenwood shut down Augustana in the bottom half of the inning, to take down the No. 1 Vikings by a final score of 5-1.
 
GAME TWO OVERVIEW
Augustana broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning with a solo home run. Lindenwood answered right back in its half of the inning, as back-to-back two-out doubles from Neil Fischer and Krebs helped to pull the Lions even at 1-1. The Vikings regained the lead in the fifth inning with five runs, and would not trail for the remainder of the game. Fischer finished game two 4-for-4 at the plate, and was a home run shy of the cycle. However, Augustana took game two by a final score of 12-3.

UP NEXT
The Lions will host Washburn for a three-game series at Lou Brock Sports Complex in St. Charles, Mo. beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Feb. 22. Lindenwood and Washburn will play at 3:00 p.m. on Feb. 23 and at 1:00 p.m. on Feb. 24.