By: Courtesy: USF Athletics
SIOUX FALLS - After dropping their first round game of the NSIC Tournament, University of Sioux Falls Softball rebounded with a dominant victory to stay alive in the double elimination tournament. The Cougars (34-19) dropped a 5-4 decision to Southwest Minnesota State in their first game before bouncing back with an 11-1 victory over Wayne State in their night game.
Sioux Falls continues their run at the NSIC Tournament with a rematch against Southwest Minnesota State at 10 a.m. on April 29 at Sherman Park.
No. 10 Southwest Minnesota State 5, Sioux Falls 4
Sioux Falls jumped out to an early lead, but a three-run fourth inning by Southwest Minnesota State gave them a lead which they held onto for a 5-4 win. The Cougars out-hit SMSU, 11-7, with homeruns by Brianna Painter and Leah Husemoen, but seven baserunners stranded allowed the Mustangs to earn the win.
The Cougars started out quickly, scoring two runs in the first and another in the second inning. Brooke Stetzler andDanielle Walker led off USF’s first at-bat with consecutive singles and an error moved both into scoring position.Shannon Daly capitalized with a double to left field, scoring both for a 2-0 Cougar lead.
USF starting pitcher Breanna Black avoided runs in the second after allowing two hits in the top of the second inning, and USF would add to their lead in the bottom half. With one out, Painter lined a ball to centerfield and would race around the bases for an inside the park homerun, the first of her career.
Southwest Minnesota State cut into USF’s three-run lead with a run in the third inning. USF logged two more hits in the bottom of the third, with doubles by Daly and Alyson Netty, but the Cougars couldn’t add to their lead.
In the top of the fourth, SMSU took their first lead of the game with three runs. Two doubles were supplemented by a pair of walks and a wild pitch, allowing the Mustangs to hold a 4-3 lead. Painter led off with a bunt single, but was held at first after three consecutive outs.
Kerrigan Hoshaw replaced Black in the circle and threw a scoreless fifth before the Cougars were shut out in their at-bat to keep the score 4-3. Victoria Brooks led off in the sixth inning with a solo homerun to add to their lead.
The Cougars went down in order in the bottom of the sixth, but Hoshaw tossed a 1-2-3 seventh inning to keep USF’s comeback hopes alive.
Leah Husemoen started the comeback with a leadoff homerun, her second of the season, to draw the Cougars within one run at 5-4. After two outs, Daly notched her third hit with a single to centerfield. Netty recorded her second hit, singling through the left side and advancing pinch runner Paige Petersen to third. A strikeout would end the Cougars’ comeback bid, handing them a 5-4 defeat.
No. 7 Sioux Falls 11, No. 5 Wayne State 1 (5 innings)
After suffering two eight-run losses to Wayne State in the regular season, Sioux Falls’ offense exploded for 13 hits to exact revenge in an 11-1, five-inning victory to keep the Cougars alive in the double elimination tournament.
The Cougars went down in order in the first inning and Kerrigan Hoshaw responded with a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom half. Seizing control of the game in the second inning, Alyson Netty led off with a single to left, setting up Betsy Thomasfor a two-run homerun to centerfield and a 2-0 lead.
Hoshaw sat the Wildcats down in order with three straight outs in the bottom of the second and USF took advantage with three more runs in the top of the third. Brooke Stetzler reached on a one-out bunt single and advanced on Danielle Walker’s base on balls. Both runner advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch and Shannon Daly followed with her third double of the day, driving in both runner. Netty singled to keep the Cougar rally going and Thomas drove in her third run with double to left field, giving USF a 5-0 lead through two and a half inning.
After recording her seventh and eighth consecutive outs, Hoshaw allowed her first hit with an infield single, but kept the Wildcats off the board with one of her three strikeouts.
USF added three more hits in the fourth inning and used a WSC error to score four runs for a nine-run advantage.Brianna Painter singled to lead off and Leah Husemoen worked a pinch-hit walk. Stetzler losed the bases with an infield single and Danielle Walker scored two with a single to centerfield. Wayne State recorded two outs to slow the USF scoring, but a hard-hit all by Thomas scored two unearned runs to cap off the Cougars’ big fourth inning.
Wayne State’s Emily Chandler led off with a solo homerun to score the Wildcats’ first run, and they added two more hits to continue their comeback attempt. Hoshaw stopped the WSC rally with an inning-ending strikeout to finish her day, earning her 16th win of the season.
Shae Hoskins started USF’s fifth-inning scoring with a one-out pinch-hit double. Husemoen added her second hit of the game with an infield single and Stetzler drove in Hoskins with another infield hit. Walker loaded the bases with the third straight infield single and Daly drove in the final Cougar run on a sacrifice fly to deep centerfield.
Netty replaced Hoshaw in the bottom of the fifth and retired three straight batters to secure the run-rule victory.