The Vikings won both games against Minnesota Crookston in the doubleheader to complete the four-game sweep of the Golden Eagles.
Augustana improved its record to 17-7 (7-1 NSIC) with the victories. Minnesota Crookston fell to 1-19 (0-8 NSIC) on the year.
Game One
Gau (3-2) became the all-time leader in wins in Vikings' history with his complete game shutout in the 7-0 win. Gau surrendered just three hits, and struck out seven for Augustana. The Alexandria, S.D native recorded his 21st victory of his career, breaking a tie the senior had with Owen Hoegh.
Jack Goihl went 2 for 2 with two RBI in game.
Tony Viger scored two runs in the win.
Gau started his day by making quick work of the Golden Eagles' batters in the first, getting a 1-2-3 on just six pitches.
The Vikings started fast at the plate, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning to make it a 4-0 game. Jake Petersen capped off the high-scoring inning with a two-out double to center field that drove in Kye Winter from second base. Augustana got four runs on four hits in the inning.
Gau then struck out the side in the top of the second after giving up a double to Travis Magdzas to lead off the inning. Rob Smothers then got on first after an error by Viger and Magdzas advanced to third base. Gau took control from there, fanning the next three batters to get out of trouble.
Augustana scored three runs in the bottom of the second to push its lead to seven. Goihl highlighted the inning with a two-run RBI single that scored Alex Fink and Viger.
Gau's masterful day really took hold after the second inning, giving up just one hit in the final five innings to give the Vikings the 7-0 victory.
Game Two
Augustana completed the four-game sweep of Minnesota Crookston in game two with a 14-5 win.
The Vikings got 17 hits, one of their season high, in the contest.
Michael Letkewicz (4-1) picked up his team-leading fourth win of the year in the game. Letkewicz finished his day going five innings and giving up two runs on five hits. The sophomore from Waterloo, Iowa also had seven strikeouts in game.
Fink tied his career high in hits with a perfect 4 for 4 performance at the plate. Fink also notched his third four-RBI game this year in the win.
Viger went 3 for 4 at the plate, while driving in a season-high four runs in the win. All three of Viger's hits were doubles, putting the senior's total up to 17 on the year, a new personal best for the Sioux Falls, S.D. native.
Marcus O'Neill had a three-hit day and scored three runs in the game. O'Neill also had one RBI.
The Golden Eagles scored their first run of the series in the top of the first to take an early 1-0 lead off a Ryan Haggstrom single that scored Patrick Higgins.
Augustana responded by scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Vikings got their three runs on two hits.
Another three-run inning in the bottom of the fourth made it 8-1 in favor of the Vikings. Goihl's RBI double to right center that brought in Viger from second base gave pushed the lead to seven for Augustana.
Minnesota Crookston got to within three in the top of the sixth inning after the Golden Eagles got two unearned runs on an error by Zach Dibble to make it 8-5.
The Vikings put this one away in the bottom of the sixth with three runs of their own on four hits to make it 11-5.
Augustana tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the seventh, pushing its lead to nine at 14-5. Viger's double to center field that drove in O'Neill and Petersen from second and third capped off the inning.
The Vikings went on to win 14-5, extending their winning streak to eight games.
Courtesy: Chris Smith, Assistant Sports Information Director, Augustana College