After scoring 28 runs in Sunday's doubleheader against Augustana, the Miner baseball team struggled offensively in Monday's series finale as the Vikings took an 8-1 decision at the S&T Baseball Field.

 

The Miners were shut out on five hits over the first seven innings by Augustana lefty Kenny Lidke, while the visitors put seven runs on the board in the first three innings to grab control of the contest early on.

 

The Vikings got on the scoreboard in the opening inning when Nate Baumann hit a bases-clearing double with two outs to give them a 3-0 lead. Augustana added a run in the second on Drew Heithoff's RBI single and three more in the third off Miner starter Zac Helton (Ballwin, Mo./Marquette).

 

Meanwhile, the Miners were held in check offensively as they hit into two double plays after leadoff hits and missed another scoring chance when they got two runners on to start the seventh but couldn't get those runners home.

 

S&T broke up the shutout in the eighth off reliever Per Nestingen when Louie Joseph (Bloomington, Ill./Central Catholic) hit a sacrifice fly to score Chris Kruppe (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley).

 

The Miners got a good outing out of the bullpen from Mark Lupkey (Farmington, Mo./Park Hills), who struck out six in four innings of work and allowed only one unearned run in his appearance.

 

Missouri S&T (4-5) will return to action Tuesday when it hosts Arkansas Tech in a noon doubleheader at the S&T Baseball Field.