BOLIVAR, Mo. - Truman and Augustana split the first doubleheader on Tuesday of a four-game midweek series that was moved to Dodson Field in Bolivar, Mo. The Bulldogs dropped game one, 10-2, before splitting the twinbill with a game-two victory, 5-1.
 
The Vikings got the scoring started early on with five runs in each of the first two innings of game one. That would be all they needed as they held out for a 10-2 victory. The Augustana bullpen was superb as it limited Truman to just three baserunners in the final 4.2 innings. Nick Agliolo and Jon Lyons knocked in the two Bulldog runs in the second.
 
Game two brought a different story as Bryan Clark and the Bulldog bullpen limited the Vikings to just one run, while the Purple and White brought home five, two off the bat of the shortstop, Agliolo.
 
Game One Recap
The Vikings hit Bulldog starter Rian Markes (1-2) early, charging him for eight runs on eight hits and a walk in just one inning of work. Patrick O'Donnell and Right Fielder got the scoring started, each with an RBI double in the first, and this was shortly followed by three-consecutive, two-out singles that plated an additional four runs.
 
Jason Priest got things started in the second with a leadoff double before advancing to third on Dave Gambino's single. Priest would later score on Nick Agliolo's RBI base knock. Jon Lyons added a sac fly to score Gambino and the first inning ended with Truman trailing by three, 5-2.
 
The Vikings answered right back, however, scoring five runs in the second including a two-run, bases-loaded single to put Augustana up 10-2, a mark at which the score would stay.
 
Led by Nick Agliolo's two hits and one RBI, six of the first seven hitters in the Bulldog lineup reached base, while the four through seven hitters recorded hits.
 
Game Two Recap
Once again, Augie started off the scoring in game two of Tuesday's doubleheader with Patrick O'Donnell's bases-loaded single in the third.
 
Not to be outdone, Truman barked back in the top of the fourth using the aid of three walks and three singles to score three times. Agliolo knocked in the first Bulldog run when he reached on a bases-loaded fielder's choice. Jon Lyons then walked to reload the bases, which set up Josh Abegg and Mason King to single and walk home a run, respectively.
 
Truman continued to ride on the back of starting pitcher Bryan Clark (2-1), who won his second game of the year after pitching seven innings of one-run ball while striking out five and walking four. Austin Tinsley pitched the eighth, allowing no runs on a hit and a walk, and Peter Young finished the game by striking out two in a clean ninth inning.
 
For the Vikings, Ryne Lees took the loss, pitching three innings in relief, allowing three runs on three hits with three walks.
 
Next up, these two teams will play games three and four of the series on Wednesday with game one's first pitch set for 11 a.m.
 
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