SIOUX FALLS – Continuing their dominant stretch over MSU Moorhead, University of Sioux Falls swept the Dragons in decisive fashion to build a winning streak of three games. The Cougars (19-16, 6-4 NSIC) took game one, 5-2, with the help of Kerrigan Hoshaw's homerun and complete game victory. In game two, USF capitalized on seven MSU Moorhead (7-20, 2-8 NSIC) errors and rode Courtney Mathews's three-hit shutout to an 8-0 win.  
 
Entering with six straight victories over MSUM, the Cougars pushed their winning streak to eight games against their Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference foe with two resounding victories. Now holding a 9-1 edge in the series against the Dragons, Sioux Falls out-hit the 26-8 and their defense stood tall with Emily Hove leading the way with five putouts at third base.
 
The Cougars continue their eight-game home stand tomorrow, Saturday, April 8 as they host Northern State for a doubleheader at Sherman Park with first pitch set for 1 p.m.
 
Sioux Falls 5, MSU Moorhead 2
Kerrigan Hoshaw pitched her third consecutive complete game and led the offensive attack with a homerun as Sioux Falls coasted to a 5-2 victory over MSU Moorhead in game one. Hoshaw allowed just five hits and struck out a season-best nine batters and the only two MSUM runs were unearned.
 
The Cougars scored all five of their runs in the second and third innings, logging four hits in each to provide Hoshaw with the padding they needed for the victory. The Cougars pushed three across in the second inning as Britni Broussard, Lindsey Mossman and Emma Schifferle each drove in one run.
 
After three shutout innings in the circle, Hoshaw blasted her team-leading seventh homerun of the season to lead off the bottom of the third. Emily Hove added her second hit of the day, scoring Kenna Heath with a double to left centerfield.
 
One error allowed the Dragons to score their only two runs of the game in the top of the fourth. , but Hoshaw slammed the door with three more shutout frames, including a 1-2-3 seventh. Five different Cougars recorded two hits each as Jasmine Ragusi joined Mossman, Hoshaw, Hove and Broussard with a multi-hit game.
 
Sioux Falls 8, MSU Moorhead 0 (6 inn.)
The USF bats stayed hot with 13 more hits in game two and freshman pitcher Courtney Mathews scattered three hits while striking out as many to lead the Cougars to an 8-0 victory in six innings.
 
After coming up empty with two runners on in the first inning, the Cougars drove in two runs in the second. Emily Hove and Britni Broussard both capitalized on MSUM miscues, scoring on errors to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead.
 
USF expanded on their advantage after Hove had two great plays at third base to aid Mathews in a perfect third inning. Breanna Black scored the first run of the inning on an error and Sydney Nieveen followed with an RBI single. Broussard drove in the third run with an RBI groundout, pushing the Cougar lead to 5-0.
 
Sioux Falls kept rolling as Mathews was lights out in the circle, scoring twice more in the bottom of the fourth. Black and Nieveen each drove in runs as Miranda White's baserunning put the Cougars in position to build on their lead.
 
Looking to end the game in the fifth, Emma Schifferle was cut down at the plate, trying to score on Jasmine Ragusi's single, but instead recording the final out of the inning. One inning later, the Cougars were able to close out the game an inning early. After a hit by Kenna Heath, Nieveen replaced her on a fielder's choice and Hove pushed her into scoring position by reaching on an error. Ashley Meyer provided the final RBI with a base knock to right field, scoring Nieveen from second for an 8-0 victory.