ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Rebounding from a slow offensive game in the doubleheader opener, University of Sioux Falls Softball broke open game two with 13 hits to split their weekend series with Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference foe St. Cloud State on Saturday. The Cougars (26-21, 13-9 NSIC) began a late rally in game one, scoring two runs in the seventh, but couldn't overcome their deficit for a 3-2 loss. In game two, USF tallied 13 hits and scored eight runs in the final two frames for a 13-4 victory to salvage a split.
 
With their doubleheader split, the Cougars hold onto fifth place in the NSIC standings with eight games remaining. USF travels to face Minnesota Duluth, who currently sits fourth in the league standings, on Sunday, April 23, for a doubleheader set for 2 p.m. in St. Joseph, Minn. 
 
St. Cloud State 3, Sioux Falls 2
After going hitless in the first six innings, Sioux Falls staged a late rally in the seventh to pull within one run of St. Cloud State, but their comeback wasn't enough in a 3-2 loss. Kerrigan Hoshaw threw all six innings for USF, allowing just two earned runs, but suffered her ninth loss of the year.
 
St. Cloud State starter Megan Hedstrom took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, allowing just two runners to reach on errors over the first six frames. SCSU built their three-run lead with a pair of runs in the fourth inning then adding the third in the sixth.
 
Jasmine Ragusi opened the final Cougar at-bat with a walk and Hoshaw broke up the no-hitter with a single in the following at-bat. Miranda White pinch ran for Ragusi and she advanced to third on Breanna Black's single. With a bases-loaded wild pitch, White scored from third and pinch runner Bailey Burnes and Black both moved into scoring position. Black scored when Kenna Heath grounded into a fielder's choice and was out attempting to advance to second while Black scored. The USF rally ended there, falling one run shy of tying the game for a 3-2 loss.
 
Sioux Falls 13, St. Cloud State 4
With just two hits in the first game, the Sioux Falls broke open in game two to the tune of 13 hits and they scored eight runs over the final two innings for a 13-4 victory over St. Cloud State. Freshman starting pitcher Courtney Mathews worked 5.1 innings to earn her 10th victory of the season. Sydney Nieveen and Kerrigan Hoshaw both recorded three hits with Hoshaw connecting on two homeruns for six runs batted in and Nieveen hitting a homer and driving in five runs.
 
Sioux Falls wasted no time taking a lead in the first inning as Nieveen hit her fourth homerun of the season after Emma Schifferle singled to lead off the game. Mathews tossed a pair of shutout innings and the Cougars added another tally in the third. Nieveen singled and was driven in after a Hoshaw walk and Kenna Heath RBI single to put the Cougars up 3-0.
 
St. Cloud State got two runs back in the bottom half of the third inning, pulling them within one run of USF at 3-2. The Cougars struck again in the fifth, using the long ball to extend their lead. Nieveen reached for the third time to lead off then Hoshaw connected on her 10th homerun of the year, a two-run blast to put USF up 5-2.
 
Breaking open the game in the sixth inning, Sioux Falls took advantage of an SCSU error to score four runs. With the bases loaded after Emily Hove reached after getting hit by a pitch, Brtini Broussard singling and Nieveen reaching on an error, Hoshaw launched her second homerun of the game, a grand slam for her 11th dinger of the season and a 9-2 lead.
 
St. Cloud State scored two runs in the sixth, but the USF offense wasn't done as they scored four more runs to pad their lead. Heath doubled and hove followed by reaching on an error and Broussard singled for the second time to load the bases. Schifferle drove in the first run with a single and then Nieveen connected on a base-clearing double to cap off their second straight four-run inning.
 
Replacing Mathews in the circle, Breanna Black came on in relief in the sixth inning and allowed just one hit over her one and two-thirds innings, completing the 13-4 victory for USF.