The Sioux Falls softball team split for the second straight day of its week-long spring break trip. The Cougars (2-6) opened with a 6-4 comeback win against the University of Bridgeport (Conn.), but were tripped up 2-1 by the Saint Leo University Lions in game two. Both games were played at the National Training Center Softball Complex in Clermont, Fla.    

A pair of run-producing hits from Naomi Tesar proved to be the difference as the Cougars continued spring break play with a 6-4 come-from-behind win over the University of Bridgeport Purple Knights (2-6).

The game was a test for both teams as a nearly two hour rain delay halted play in the third inning just as Cougar senior infielder Katie Larson stepped back into the box with a 1-1 count.  

After the delay, Bridgeport tacked on another run to take a 4-0 lead, but the Cougars grinded out a run each in the fourth and fifth innings and rallied for four more in the sixth to improve to 2-6 on the season.

“It was fun to see us fight back and its good for our kids to feel uncomfortable in a situation and still come away with success,” head coach Travis Lape said.

Cougar starting pitcher Bailey Bouman struck out the first batter she faced before hitting UB outfielder Paige Owens. Stephanie Pearce laced an RBI triple on a 2-2 count to score the first run of the contest. The bases were cleared when Pearce was caught stealing home, but Morgan Dunn tacked on a solo home run to put the Purple Knights up 2-0 after half an inning.

The Cougars failed to move a runner into scoring position in their first 10 at-bats and UB tallied an RBI single in the third to extend their lead to 3-0 before officials halted the game for close to two hours.

USF went quietly in its half of the third once play resumed while Bridgeport used an error by the Cougar second baseman to push the margin to 4-0 going into the bottom of the fourth frame.

The Cougars quickly retaliated in their half of the fourth when Priscilla Quintana blasted a solo shot over the left field fence for the team's first home run of the season.    

A two-out triple in the fifth from Shelby Thompson put a runner in scoring position for Tesar, who delivered a line drive RBI single.
  
“Shelby's at-bat was awesome. She really battled and took pitches and we have been really been talking about taking advantage of good pitches in big moments,” Lape said. “We have been constantly reminding them that pitches don't get them out, we get ourselves out and they were able to see today that they can be patient, work the count and have success.”

Quintana was then intentionally walked, but a strike out during the next at-bat ended the threat and sent USF to the sixth trailing by two runs.

After a Purple Knights' infield ground out and left field single, USF reliever Amanda Walters sandwiched two strikeouts around a Bridgeport base hit to end the sixth inning on her own terms.  

The Cougars' heroics all started with Shae Reinke's lead-off walk. After Katie Larson sacrificed her to second, speedster Brooke Stetzler pinch-ran for Reinke. The move paid dividends, as Stetzler scampered home after an error by the third baseman that also put Samantha Kane on base and moved Scott to the hot corner, who touched home on Thompson game-tying RBI base knock. Tesar followed with what would stand as the game-winning RBI double and Walters helped her own cause with a sac fly that scored Thompson and gave USF the 6-4 advantage.  

Walters set down the Purple Knights in order in the seventh to close out the come-from-behind victory.

Walters, took the ball from Bouman with one out in the third inning, provided 4.2 strong innings of relief to pick up her second win of the season. Walters limited the Purple Knights to three hits and one unearned run.

Shelby Thompson led the Cougars with a 3-for-4, RBI and two runs scored effort. Tesar and Erin Scott both recorded two hits on the day.

There would be no late-inning heroics in the Cougars' 2-1 game two defeat to an experienced  Saint Leo University squad that improved to 21-9 overall with the win.

Both teams went scoreless through the first three and a half innings before Saint Leo scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth—which would turn out to be just enough to hold off the Cougars.

USF cut the deficit in half in the top of the sixth. Walters opened the frame with a single and advanced to third courtesy of Scott's sacrifice and a timely base hit from Kellen Dewey. She would tag up and cross home plate with Thompson's sacrifice fly to make it a 2-1 game going into the final inning.

Bouman sent the Lions back to the dugout 1-2-3 in their half of the seventh and led off the bottom of the frame with a bunt single. But a fielder's choice put Bouman out at second and two consecutive Cougar ground outs ended the game.

The Cougars were limited to four hits total by Lions ace Ashley Ehlers and Megan Still, who recorded the final out. Bouman (0-2) allowed two runs on seven hits with three strikeouts in the complete game defeat.

USF is off until Wednesday, when they will face Bentley University (Mass.) and St. Joseph's College (Ind.).