SIOUX FALLS – Closing their nonconference schedule, University of Sioux Falls Softball heads to St. Joseph, Mo. for the Hy-Vee Classic on March 17-19. The Cougars enter the weekend with a 12-7 record after finishing their trip to the National Training Center Games in Clermont, Fla. with a 5-3 record.
 
Sioux Falls will play six games over the next three days all against Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association opponents. Listed below are the dates, times and opponents for the Cougars this weekend at the Hy-Vee Classic. Live stats will only be available for USF's game against host Missouri Western State. 
 
Friday, March 17, 10 a.m. – Missouri Southern (10-15)
Friday, March 17, 2 p.m. – No. 18 Missouri Western (18-4)
Saturday, March 18, 10 a.m. – Central Missouri (7-14)
Saturday, March 18, 2 p.m. – Fort Hays State (8-12)
Sunday, March 19, 11 a.m. – Northwest Missouri State (10-6)
Sunday, March 19, 1 p.m. – No. 9 Central Oklahoma (13-3)
 
Freshmen and newcomers lead way for USF in Florida
Of the seven USF Softball players to hit above .300 during their trip to Clermont, Fla., four weren't members of the squad last season. Freshman Kenna Heath worked her way into starting the last five games of the trip and finished with an outstanding .772 batting average. Heath recorded 13 hits in 18 at-bats, scoring four times while driving in nine runs. A newcomer to the 2017 USF Softball team, Jasmine Ragusi started all eight games for USF and posted a .481 batting average with three doubles, a homerun, and a team-high 10 RBI. Freshman Sydney Nieveen matched Ragusi with four extra-base hits and posted a .348 batting average with a team-high 10 runs scored. Freshman Emma Schifferle, who was named to the all-tournament team at the Desert Stinger earlier this season, batted .333 with four RBI and seven runs.
 
Mathews flirts with no-hitter, tosses two gems to close trip
Freshman right-handed pitcher Courtney Mathews has already experienced the full gamut of the ups and downs of collegiate softball as a pitcher, but her last two performances were impressive. In six innings of work against Franklin Pierce, Mathews allowed just one hit and struck out six batters for a complete-game victory. In her next appearance, Mathews scattered four hits over six innings and allowed just one run in her third victory of the trip, a 9-1 decision over Millersville. For the trip, Mathews posted a 3-1 record with a 3.54 earned run average and 13 strikeouts in 20.1 innings pitched.