CLERMONT, Fla. – Beginning a 10-game road swing before their home opener, University of Sioux Falls Softball dropped a pair of games to start their spring break trip. The Cougars (3-8) were held scoreless  in a 3-0 loss to Caldwell then mounted a comeback only to come up short in an 8-4 loss to No. 20 Indianapolis.
 
Caldwell 3, Sioux Falls 0
Continuing their offensive struggles, USF stranded seven runners on base as they suffered a 3-0 loss to Caldwell in their spring break opener. Megan Peterson led the Cougars with two of their five hits and Kerrigan Hoshaw suffered the loss, allowing three runs five innings pitched.
 
Following scoreless first and second innings, Caldwell scored all three of their runs in the top of the third. Hitless through the first two frames, Caldwell scored the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly before a two-out, two-RBI single pushed their lead to 3-0.
 
Eager to respond, USF threatened in the bottom of the third innings, but came up emptyhanded. Peterson and Emily Hove led off with consecutive singles before Sydney Nieveen reached for the second time of the game, this time on an error. With the bases loaded and nobody out, USF's scoring threat was halted on a fielder's choice and an inning-ending double play.
 
Hoshaw kept Caldwell off the board in the fourth and fifth innings, eventually giving way to Courtney Mathews, who tossed two shutout innings while allowing just one hit. Peterson singled in the fifth inning and freshman Cassie Van Beek doubled in the sixth, but USF couldn't cut into the Caldwell lead, dropping the game, 3-0.
 
No. 20 Indianapolis 8, Sioux Falls 4
Facing an eight-run deficit, Sioux Falls made a valiant late charge at the No. 20 Indianapolis softball team, but they fell short, falling 8-4 on Sunday evening. Francesca Mickelson broke USF out of a five-plus inning scoring drought with a three-run homerun in the sixth inning and the Cougars added another in their final at-bat, only to cut their initial deficit in half.
 
Breanna Black earned the start for USF in the circle and she worked four innings, allowing five runs on eight hits. UIndy scored two in the top of the first before Black settled in for a few innings, taking the Cougars into the fourth, down 2-0.
 
The Greyhounds added to their lead, scoring three more in the top of the fourth inning, including a two-run homerun. However, USF began to threaten the UIndy lead in the bottom half. Jasmine Ragusi recorded the Cougars' first hit with a leadoff single, but USF's threat was quickly extinguished on a double play groundout. Ashley Meyer singled following the double play, but USF's rally would have to be delayed.
 
After the pitching change at the start of the fifth inning kept the Cougars down five run, Indianapolis added three more with the help of an error to spark their rally in the sixth frame. Down 8-0 in the bottom of the sixth, USF needed to score to extend the game.
 
Sydney Nieveen and Ragusi both drew walks to lead off the inning, but USF's hopes of putting a dent in the UIndy advantage started to wane after consecutive outs. However, Mickelson seized her opportunity and hit her second homerun of the season, scoring three runs in the process.
 
Nieveen shut out the Greyhounds in the top of the seventh and USF trailed 8-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh. In the final trip to the plate, Megan Peterson singled and advanced to second on an error. Lindsey Mossman pushed her to third base with another base hit and Nieveen drove her in with a sacrifice fly. The Cougar rally was halted there, however, as one final flyout ended the game, 8-4, in favor of Indianapolis.