Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 VADNAIS HEIGHTS, Minn. – The Northwestern College women's softball team opened its 2013 campaign with an even split with Augsburg College, winning the first matchup 12-4, while dropping the second in an extra-inning 8-5 contest Friday afternoon at the Vadnais Sports Center.

The Eagles started its season with Molly Johnsen (Floodwood, Minn./Floodwood) on the mound and shook off early first-inning rust  before responding in the bottom half of the inning, as Kelsey Stoltman (Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View) and Johnsen got the Northwestern bats flying at the top of the lineup. Even amidst the early offensive action, Augsburg made key defensive plays and ended the Purple and Gold's momentum with zero runs on the board.

The next full inning featured three up and three down for both squads. The top of the third saw the Auggies roll out the scoring. A double combined with a single and NWC passed ball gave Augsburg the first run of the afternoon, but after three earned runs, Johnsen and company were able to the end the inning on a groundout to short stop, leaving the Eagles with a 0-4 deficit.

Queue the bottom of the third inning, and Ali Witthus (Chanhassen, Minn./Southwest Christian) pounded a double to left center, while Stoltman followed that up with a one-baser of her own, advancing Witthus to third base. Johnsen brought Witthus in with the team's first RBI of the season, bringing Augsburg's buffer to within three.

Fast forward to the bottom of the fifth inning, and the Northwestern train began rolling, as Johnsen drew a walk as the first batter up. Briana Rogers was the next player to enter the batter box and circled the bases after nailing her first homerun of the season while also earning credit for two runs in. Next up, the momentum continued as Lauren Young (Shoreview, Minn./Concordia Academy) made her presence felt with a left-field double, followed by a Megan VanHulzen (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Park Center) walk and Anna Schurch (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) single up the middle to once again put NWC in the books.

As the powerful fifth stretch continued, Northwestern would rack up 11 runs and eight hits to secure the ballgame courtesy of a VanHulzen double, scoring both Young and Rodgers. The inaugural game ended with a 12-4 margin, triggering the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) eight-run rule and securing the first victory of the Eagles' young campaign.

In the premier duel, Johnsen picked up her first win of season, while Stoltman, Johnsen, Young, and Morgan Pfaff (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) all picked up two hits in the opener.

The second matchup kicked off with Augsburg scoring early after offensive plays combined with a Northwestern error led to the Eagles being down 0-2 before the inning had ended.

Rodgers responded with a single as NWC returned to the batting box, but that was the end of the hitting success for Northwestern until the third inning. After another Augsburg mini-run led to a 4-0 deficit, the Purple and Gold began to gain some heat, as Young and VanHulzen each brought in two runners to put the squad on the board.

As the Eagles took the field for defense in the fourth, Augsburg converted on a NWC error to eventually bring in an unearned run and added another tally to its 5-2 buffer. Northwestern made efforts to gain possession of the momentum and eventually succeeded in the bottom of sequence number six, as the tables turned and Kelsey Timm (Iowa Falls, Iowa/Iowa Falls-Aiden) earned credit for an RBI while Young reached home as a result of an Auggie error.

Three key stops later and NWC was back in the dugout for its final chance to even the score. Two consecutive errors from the Minneapolis squad led to two bases filled for the Eagles. Young utilized the situation and picked up an RBI to aid the Northwestern effort. As the final out was thrown, the score was a 5-5 tie, sending the game into extra chances.

Augsburg swung its bats successfully, posting a three-run rally before NWC was able to notch three outs, leaving the squad with a hole to fill in its final attempt on offense. Although the Eagles got hits from Pfaff and Witthus, it was not enough to even the contest yet again and the athletes left the turf with an 8-5 score in the Auggie's favor.

Stoltman led the hitting campaign for NWC, going 2-4 on the afternoon. Timm also appeared in her first pitching sequence, striking out three batters in the process.

Northwestern (1-1 overall) will return to the field on Friday, March 1 for a matchup versus Wartburg College as part of the Augsburg College Tournament.