SIOUX FALLS – University of Sioux Falls Softball dropped two games to crosstown rival and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference foe Augustana on Thursday evening. Despite a three-run homerun from Sydney Nieveen in game one, the Cougars (26-25, 13-13 NSIC) fell 12- 4 in five innings. In game two, USF dropped a 7-1 decision.
 
Sioux Falls returns home for the final four games of the regular season as they look to clinch their fourth consecutive bid to the NSIC Tournament. With a 13-13 record in NSIC play, the Cougars are in a three-way tie for eighth and hold a one-game lead over Southwest Minnesota State, who is currently 11th. USF will host Minnesota Crookston on Friday, April 28 in a doubleheader set for 1 p.m. then close the regular season with a doubleheader against Bemidji State on Saturday, April 29 at 1 p.m.
 
Augustana 12, Sioux Falls 4 (5 inn.)
In the doubleheader opener, Sioux Falls rallied in the top of the fifth with four runs, but came up short as Augustana proved to be too much with a 12-4 decision in five innings. Sydney Nieveen hit her fifth homerun of the season, a three-run blast that fueled USF's comeback bid.
 
Augustana jumped on the Cougars in the bottom of the first with a two-run homerun then added three more in the second inning, led by another two-run homer. In the top of the third, Emma Schifferle recorded the Cougars' first hit with a single up the middle, but Augustana hled them scoreless in the frame.
 
The Vikings (35-11, 20-4 NSIC) pushed their lead to double digits with five more runs in the bottom of the third, racking up five hits. After a shutout fourth for both teams, the Cougars broke through to extend the game.
 
Breanna Black led off with a walk and Britni Broussard followed one batter later with a single to left field. After a wild pitch moved both runners in to scoring position on a wild pitch, Black scored after Schifferle forced an error by the AU third baseman. In the next at-bat, Nieveen launched the third pitch over the left field fence for a three-run homerun, closing the gap to 10-4 heading into the bottom of the fifth.
 
An infield single and walk gave the Vikings two runners before a base-clearing double plated both to end the game at 12-4.
 
USF starter Kerrigan Hoshaw was saddled with the loss, dropping her season record to 11-10.
 
Augustana 7, Sioux Falls 1
Despite two hits from both Kerrigan Hoshaw and Francesca Mickelson, Sioux Falls suffered a 7-1 loss to Augustana in game two. Emily Hove drove in the lone run of the game while Breanna Black came on in relief to throw two shutout innings for the Cougars.
 
Si9dney Nieveen singled with one out in the first inning, but Augustana kept USF off the board before scoring four runs on five hits in the bottom half. Mickelson recorded her first hit of the game with a leadoff infield single and advanced to second, but was stranded there.
 
Mathews settled in to throw shutout second and third innings and Britni Broussard provided the Cougars with their third hit of the game in the third inning, but USF remained in a 4-0 hole after three innings.
 
Hoshaw led off the fourth inning with a single to short and Mickelson followed with her second infield single, setting up the Cougars. Both runners advanced into scoring position on a Black groundout before Hove drove in the lone USF run with a single up the middle.
 
Augustana responded in the bottom of the fourth with three runs, pushing their lead to 7-1. The Cougars went down in order in the top of fifth inning, and Black answered in the bottom half with a shutout frame after coming on in relief for starter Courtney Mathews.
 
Sioux Falls threatened in the top of the sixth, notching a pair of base hits. Hoshaw singled for the second time and Kenna Heath recorded her first hit of the game with a drive up the middle. Augustana stopped the threat with two consecutive outs.
 
Black worked her second straight shutout inning with another 1-2-3 frame, but USF couldn't cut into their deficit, going scoreless in the top of the seventh to end the game, 7-1.