The University of Minnesota Duluth came up short, falling to No. 8 Augustana University in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Semifinals Friday afternoon at Bowden Field on the campus of Augustana in Sioux Falls, S.D. The Vikings (45-9) advanced to the NSIC Championship round in search of their second straight league postseason championship after putting up a six-run fifth inning to break the ball game open. 

The Bulldogs (39-17) were in search of their third straight NSIC Championship game appearance, and their third straight win over Augustana after sweeping the Vikings on their home turf in the regular season. UMD, who was the last team to defeat the Vikings on their home turf giving them two of their four home losses this spring, broke open the scoreless game with two runs in the third. 

Junior Ava Johnson crushed her third home run of the season to give UMD a 1-0 lead. The Williamston, Mich. native homered for the second time this season against Augustana, both off NSIC Pitcher of the Year Grace Glanzer. Senior Nicole Schmitt added to her new single-season RBI record as she registered her 69th RBI of the year on a double to the right-field wall that allowed junior Morgan McMillan to score from first.

Glanzer shut the door after that as Schmitt's double would be the last hit allowed. The NSIC First Team selection went five innings, allowing the two third-inning runs off two hits and no walks. 

The Vikings' Andrea Cain tied the game in the bottom half of the third. Cain lifted a fly ball out of the park to knot things 2-2. Her two-run home run was part of six unanswered runs by the Vikings.

Augustana busted the game open sparked by six Viking hits and a Bulldog error. Eleven batters came to the plate in the bottom half of the inning and slowly pushed the deficit wider with six singles as Augustana collectively worked the frame going station to station. 

Holding an 8-2 lead, the Vikings' Lexi Lander took to the rubber and retired the final six Bulldogs in order to end UMD's chance at its sixth NSIC Postseason Championship.

Senior pitcher Allison Luoma, who won her previous six starts and posted a save in her last seven appearances, started well, not allowing a hit through the first two innings. Cain was the first to break though in the third but Luoma settled in afterwards to retire the side, and pitched a 1-2-3 fourth. Luoma ran into trouble in the fifth and was spelled by junior right hander Allyssa Williams. Luoma reentered in the sixth and fired three quick outs. She finished allowing six runs on six hits, a strikeout in 4.1 innings of work in the circle. 

The Bulldogs await their NCAA postseason fate with the NCAA Selection Show on Monday, May 5. UMD, who was No. 10 heading into the conference tournament, will look for one of the five at-large bids in the eight-team NCAA Central Region field.