LAS VEGAS - Opening the 2017 season, University of Sioux Falls split their first two games of the Desert Stinger on Friday. The Cougars came from behind to defeat host Montana State-Billings, 6-5, before falling to a late homerun in game two against Sonoma State, 3-2. 

Sioux Falls 6, MSU Billings 5
After a sluggish start to the season opener, University of Sioux Falls Softball closed with a bang, scoring five runs in the final three innings to defeat Montana State-Billings 6-5. Breanna Black earned the win with three shutout innings and she scored the game-winning run in the seventh inning.
 
Emma Schifferle had a strong collegiate debut, going 4-for-4 at the plate while fellow freshman Francesca Mickleson knocked in two runs. Kerrigan Hoshaw earned the season-opening start in the circle and after four innings of work, she was relieved by Black, who didn't allow a hit in the final three innings.
 
MSU Billings used a three-run homerun in the bottom of the first to help build a 4-0 lead, but USF was able to get on the board in the top of the third. Brianna Painter led off with a single and Schifferle followed with a base knock. After a sacrifice bunt from Emily Hove, Sydney Nieveen recorded her first career RBBI with a sac fly to rightfield, scoring Painter.
 
MSU Billings answered in the bottom of the third, but wouldn't score again as Hoshaw tossed a shutout fourth before giving way to Black, who posted three more blank frames. USF stranded two runners in the fourth, but were capitalistic in the top of the fifth by scoring two unearned runs.  
 
Schifferle doubled to start the inning then Hove and Nieveen followed by reaching on a walk and hit by pitch, respectively. Kenna Heath drove in Schifferle with an RBI groundout as well as moving the runners into scoring position. With two outs, Mickelson's drive to centerfield was misplayed, scoring Hove and Nieveen to bring the Cougars within one run, 5-4.
 
Black sat the Yellowjackets down in order in the bottom of the fifth, allowing USF to tie the game in the top of the sixth. Painter drew a one-out walk and scored on the next batter when Schifferle doubled to leftfield, tying the game at 5-5. Black kept the game tied with a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom half then started the next inning with a leadoff walk.
 
Ashley Meyer worked a pinch-hit walk after Black's base on balls, but the next two USF hitters flied out. Britni Broussard kept the inning alive, forcing the MSUB shortstop into an error, which allowed Black to score from second.
 
With their first lead at 6-5 in the bottom of the seventh, Black was able to battle past a leadoff error to throw her third consecutive scoreless inning, securing her first victory of the season.

Sonoma State 3, Sioux Falls 2
USF Softball suffered its first defeat of the season, dropping a 3-2 decision to Sonoma State in the second game of the Desert Stinger on Friday.
 
Courtney Mathews was strong in her collegiate debut, throwing six innings and allowing two earned runs. She had given up just one hit through five innings, but Sonoma State used a two-run homerun to take their first lead of the game, which would hold after USF came up short in their final two at-bats.
 
Emma Schifferle and Sydney Nieveen posted two hits each and Nieveen and Jasmine Ragusi recorded both of USF's RBI. After two scoreless trips to the plate, Emily Hove started the Cougars off in the third inning by reaching on an error. Nieveen tripled to drive in Hove and Ragusi followed with a double to score Nieveen for a 2-0 lead.
 
Mathews kept Sonoma State off the board in the fourth, but the Seawolves manufactured a run in the top of the fifth to cut USF's lead in half. Schifferle led off with a single in the bottom of the fifth before SSU hit their go-ahead homerun in the top of the sixth.
 
Kenna Heath recorded a pinch-hit single in the sixth, but USF couldn't score and the Cougars went down in order in their final at-bat.
 
Sioux Falls continues their season-opening tournament in Las Vegas on Saturday, Feb. 4 with a 4 p.m. game against Texas Women's University and a 9 p.m. contest against Concordia-Irvine.