The USF softball team (9-17, 4-8, NSIC) had a rough night against the University of Minnesota- Duluth, as the Cougars dropped both ends of a late night NSIC double-header to the Bulldogs (27-7, 7-1). The twinbill was moved to the Husky Dome in St. Cloud and the final out was not recorded until close to midnight.

A sixth-inning rally fell short for USF in game one and the Bulldogs held on for a 6-4 victory. UMD rolled the Cougars in the nightcap by a 9-1 verdict, scoring five runs in the bottom of the sixth to trigger the eight-run mercy rule.

In game one, a RBI double and bases-loaded walk allowed the Bulldogs to go ahead 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning. UMD registered three runs off of Cougar starter Bailey Bouman (4-5) in the fourth to take a commanding 5-0 lead.
 
The Cougars made things interesting on the strength of a four-run sixth inning that made it a one-run deficit. Shelby Thompson led off with a single and stole second base on a 3-2 count. Priscilla Quintana doubled her home and she and Bouman, who singled and also swiped second, both crossed home plate via Kellen Dewey's long two-bagger to right field.

An infield base hit by Shea Hoskins scored Dewey and the Cougars had a great chance to tie or take the lead with runners at the corners with only one out. But Hoskins was picked off second and Samantha Kane grounded out to the pitcher to end the rally.
 
UMD scratched across a run in the bottom of the frame.
 
Thompson got things going for the Cougars in the top of the seventh when she reached base on the pitcher's error and advanced with Bouman's one out single. But Bulldog ace Julia Nealer fanned the next two Cougars to preserve the 6-4 win for UMD.
 
Bouman was saddled with the loss as she yielded six runs on nine hits with two walks and five strikeouts. She also went 2-for-3 at the plate and scored a run. Dewey was 1-for-3 with two runs batted in and Quintana and Hoskins each provided an RBI base hit.
 
The Bulldogs out-hit USF, 9-7.
 
USF didn't put up much of a fight in game two and was mercied by the Bulldogs, 9-1.
 
The Cougars opened scoring with one run in the top of the first, when Bouman led off with a single and scored on Quintana's two-out ground ball single. But the Bulldogs retaliated in the bottom half of the inning, scoring two runs. UMD knocked a pair of hits to the outfield and tied the game on a muffed throw by the shortstop. USF starter Amanda Walters retired the next two batters but the Bulldogs plated their second run on a wild pitch to take a 2-1 lead.
 
That would be it for the Cougars. UMD starter Megan Mullen held USF hitless the rest of the way before Ashley Schilling slammed the door shut with a 1-2-3 sixth inning. The Bulldogs added a run in the fourth with a two-out line drive single and a second Cougar infield error was the catalyst for a fourth tally before UMD put the game away with a five-run sixth inning that put the mercy rule into effect.

The Bulldogs touched Walters (4-11) for nine runs (six earned) on 13 hits. She walked three and struck out three Bulldog batters. USF had just three hits in the game, one each by Dewey, Quintana and Bouman.
 
USF will travel to Augustana College on Wednesday.