The University of Minnesota Duluth softball team faced off against Augustana University in a doubleheader on Saturday at Bowden Field, resulting in a 10-1 loss and a hard-fought 6-5 victory.
 
In the first game, the Bulldogs fell to the Vikings with a final score of 10–1. Augustana took an early lead in the third inning off a fielder's choice and an unearned sacrifice fly, leading 2–0 after three innings.
 
The Vikings extended their lead in the fifth with two additional runs from a single up the middle. UMD responded with Ava Johnson doubling to right field and later scoring on a single by Emma Ambroz, making it 4–1 after the fifth inning.
 
However, the Vikings broke the game open in the sixth, scoring six runs, highlighted by a three-run homer, with all runs unearned due to earlier fielding errors. UMD's attempt to rally in the bottom of the inning included singles from Morgan McMillan and Khendal Johnson, but ended scoreless.
 
Allyssa Williams pitched three innings, allowing six hits, six runs (one earned), striking out one, and walking one. Ashley Mandell relieved Williams, pitching two innings and conceding four hits and two earned runs with one strikeout. Maddy Walsh closed the game, pitching less than an inning, giving up one hit and two runs (none earned), with a home run and a wild pitch.
 
In the second game, the Bulldogs secured a narrow 6–5 victory over Augustana. The Vikings took an early lead in the first inning, scoring four runs due to a series of hits and an error. UMD's efforts in the bottom of the inning were halted with three consecutive outs, leaving the score at 4–0 after one inning.
 
The Bulldogs got on the board in the third when Serena Timmer hit a home run down the left field line, closing the gap to 4–1.
 
The sixth inning saw a significant comeback from UMD. Kendal Jenkins singled, followed by a series of hits, including an RBI single by Paige Johnson, scoring Jenkins. A wild pitch allowed Ava Johnson to score, and Timmer's single tied the game at 4–4.
 
Both teams scored in the eighth, with Augustana taking a slight lead on a sacrifice fly. However, UMD responded when Ava Johnson drew a walk and later scored on a hit by pitch, tying the game again at 5–5.
 
In the ninth inning, Khendal Johnson doubled, and Paige Johnson's RBI single brought in the winning run for the Bulldogs, completing the comeback with a final score of 6–5.
 
Emmie Sylvia-Cochran pitched a complete game for Minnesota Duluth, allowing eight hits and five runs over nine innings. She recorded four strikeouts and issued four walks while maintaining composure after a challenging start in the first inning. Sylvia-Cochran forced 11 flyouts and nine groundouts, contributing to the team's defensive efforts.
 
The Bulldogs head on the road to face their next NSIC doubleheader against the University of Sioux Falls on Saturday.