An offensive proliferation in the first inning paved the way for the Cougars' (9-13, 4-4 NSIC) midweek split with Concordia-St. Paul (18-7, 5-2 NSIC) at Sherman Park in Sioux Falls. In game one, USF mercied the Golden Bears 10-0 in five innings but the visitors bounced back to take game two, 2-0.
It didn't take long for game one to get out of hand. Priscilla Quintana opened scoring with a bases loaded walk after a sequence of a lead-off walk, hit by pitch and bunt single. Bailey Bouman then took a pitch off the forearm to score another run and Quintana soon followed her home on a fielder's choice. Katie Larson walked in another run and all the bases were occupied again, but not for long. Samantha Kane and Shelby Thompson each delivered two-RBI hits before Quintana made her second trip to the plate and crushed a two-run double that gave the Cougars a 10-0 lead after the first inning.
Ashley Kluever (10-5) lasted only a third of an inning for Concordia-St. Paul. Stephanie Kappes relieved her at the end of the onslaught and would limit the Cougars to two hits over the final 3.2 innings.
The 10 runs turned out to be much more run support than was needed by USF starting pitcher Bailey Bouman. The junior dominated the Golden Bears from the start, fanning the first three batters en route to nine total strikeouts. Bouman scattered two hits and walked two in the five-inning, mercy-rule victory.
Unfortunately for the Cougars, 10 runs were all they had in their bats. Concordia's ace Kluever (11-5) shook off her game one nightmare to hurl a complete-game, 2-0 shutout victory.
She looked to be simply toying with the Cougars, who were held to three hits and racked up 11 strikeouts flailing at Kluever's drop ball.
Amanda Walters (4-8) remains USF's hard-luck pitcher. The Washington H.S. product allowed just two runs (one earned) on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
Thompson finished 2-for-3 to lead the Cougars. Walters accounted for the other hit.
USF hits the road this weekend for four games against St. Cloud State University and the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
