The Monmouth College softball team lost a pair of non-conference games at Augustana on Tuesday, 4-0 and 8-3. The hosts threw a no-hitter in the opening game and Scots catcher Biancha Luna (Monmouth, Illinois) hit a 3-run homer in the nightcap.
The Scots had very few chances in the opening game as Nadia Ranieri struck out 16 and threw a complete-game no-hitter. Monmouth didn’t have a base runner until Liliian Hucke (Aledo, Illinois) walked in the sixth inning. The Scots drew two more walks in the seventh but Ranieri finished off her no-hitter with a pop up and her 16th strikeout of the game. Augustana scored three runs in the third and one in the fourth against Monmouth hurler Abby Leber (Tremont, Illinois).
The Vikings scored in each of the first three innings in game two to take a 4-0 lead against Jenna Pauley (Moline, Illinois). In the top of the fourth, MyKenzie Kloess (Dupo, Illinois) singled and Pauley followed with a single. Alex Chamberlain (Canton, Illinois) ran for Pauley and Luna put the Scots on the board with a 3-run homer. The blast was her first as a collegian after setting the Monmouth-Roseville High School home run record.
Augustana put the game away with four runs in the bottom of the fourth for an 8-3 lead. Of the eight runs scored by the Vikings in game two, seven were unearned.
Monmouth will be in action at 1 p.m. on Friday at home against Eureka College with a double header.
***Report Courtesy of Nathan Baliva, Monmouth College***
