MARSHALL, Minn. – University of Sioux Falls Softball split their first conference doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon. The Cougars (14-13, 1-1 NSIC) defeated Southwest Minnesota State, 3-0, in game one before falling 3-1 in the second leg. Sioux Falls continues their six-game road trip with doubleheaders at Upper Iowa and Winona State.
 
Sioux Falls 3, Southwest Minnesota State 0
Starting pitcher Kerrigan Hoshaw scattered seven hits and didn't allow a run for her first complete game shutout of the season in USF's 3-0 win over Southwest Minnesota State. USF scored all three runs in the third inning, using back-to-back extra-base hits from Emma Schifferle and Jasmine Ragusi.
 
After a scoreless first inning, SMSU threatened in the bottom of the second with a leadoff double, but Hoshaw avoided any damage with three straight outs. The Cougars carried the momentum of Hoshaw's shutout inning to the top of the third where they did their damage.
 
Kenna Heath led off with a single to centerfield and Emily Hove followed with a bunt single. After a strikeout, Lindsey Mossman reached on a single, but Hove was ruled out for interference. Schifferle stepped to the plate and doubled to leftfield, scoring both runners. Ragusi then tripled down the leftfield line to score Schifferle and USF built a 3-0 lead.
 
Southwest Minnesota State responded with two hits in the bottom half of the inning, but couldn't put a dent in the Cougar lead. SMSU added another pair of hits in the bottom of the fifth, but Hoshaw worked her way out of the jam. Hove singled in the fifth and Sydney Nieveen recorded a base hit in the sixth, but the Cougars couldn't add to their lead.
 
Hoshaw settled in after allowing hits in three straight innings and she put the finishing touches on her shutout, retiring six of the final seven batters, allowing just one runner on a walk.
 
Southwest Minnesota State 3, Sioux Falls 1
The Cougars were held to five hits and limited to one run as Southwest Minnesota State salvaged a split with a 3-1 victory over USF in game two. Britni Broussard recorded two hits, including a double, to lead USF. Breanna Black was saddled with the loss after allowing three runs, two earned, in four innings of work.
 
After two shutout innings for both teams, Broussard led off the third with a double then stole third with one out, but USF couldn't score her in the next two at-bats. Black allowed just two hits in the first three innings, but SMSU scored twice in the fourth, using three hits and a Cougar error to take a 2-0 lead.
 
Emily Hove and Broussard singled with one out in the fifth, but a pitching change aided the Mustangs to keep Sioux Falls scoreless. Two leadoff hits led to Courtney Mathews replacing Black in the circle and the Mustangs pushed across one more run for a 3-0 lead.
 
The Cougars manufactured a run in the sixth with two hits and had one runner cut down at home plate. Jasmine Ragusi led off with a walk and Miranda White pinch ran for her, who was joined on the basepaths after Kerrigan Hoshaw singled. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch and Ashley Meyer singled in her pinch-hit at-bat, scoring White, but Hoshaw was out at home on a throw from leftfield.
 
Broussard reached for the third time in the game after an error with a one-out error in the seventh, but the Cougars couldn't capitalize and were handed the 3-1 loss.