SIOUX FALLS – Bouncing back from two losses to start their spring break trip with four wins, University of Sioux Falls stayed on a roll with four more on their final two days at the FPX Spring Games in Clermont, Fla. The Cougars kept rolling first with an 8-4 win over Salem University on Wednesday, their second victory over the Tigers on the trip. Capping off their third consecutive doubleheader sweep, USF defeated William Jewell, 9-3, with seven runs in the final two innings. After a day off, the Cougars returned to their winning ways with an 8-1 victory over Slippery Rock, then they closed the trip with a tight 3-1 victory, in which their three first-inning runs held on the back of stout defense.
 
Sioux Falls 8, Salem 4
As they'd done all trip Sioux Falls scored multiple runs in the first inning, overcoming a brief deficit and closing with a fury to defeat Salem, 8-4. Sophomore Courtney Mathews worked four innings in relief and allowed just one run to earn the victory. Three different Cougars recorded multiple hits as Ashley Meyer paced the offense with three hits and three runs batted in.
 
Aided by an error, Salem took a two-run lead, scoring on a pair of hits, but starting pitcher Breanna Black stranded a runner to limit the damage before USF's response. Lindsey Mossman reached on an error and was driven in by Jasmine Ragusi's double. In the following at-bat, Meyer hit a two-run home run, giving USF a one-run lead. Manufacturing their final run, Francesca Mickelson walked, stole second, was advanced to third on a fly ball, and ultimately scored a passed ball.
 
After a scoreless second inning, Salem cut their second deficit in half with one run on three hits. The Tigers erased the Cougars' lead in the top of the fourth inning, scoring on a one-out double. USF threatened in the bottom half of the inning, but stranded two runners to keep the game tied 4-4.
 
After three scoreless frames, the Cougars broke through with a pair of runs in the fifth inning. Ragusi, who was replaced by pinch runner Cassie Van Beek, and Meyer both singled and moved into scoring position with stolen bases. With one out, Emily Hove drove in both runners for a 6-4 USF lead.
 
Mathews allowed one hit, but kept the USF lead intact heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. Adding a pair of insurance runs, the Cougars tallied three hits for an 8-4 advantage. Mossman and Sydney Nieveen led off with singles and Meyer added her third RBI with a single to left field. Pinch hitter Miranda White pushed the final run of the game across with a sacrifice bunt.
 
Working her third scoreless inning in four chances, Mathews forced three consecutive flyouts to end the game.
 
Sioux Falls 9, William Jewell 3
Facing a one-run deficit entering the sixth inning, Sioux Falls scored seven runs in the final two frames, including back-to-back homeruns in the seventh, to earn a 9-3 win over William Jewell. USF recorded 11 hits for the second time on Wednesday, including three by Sydney Nieveen and two each from Emily Hove and Emily Miller. Courtney Mathews earned her second win in relief, allowing one run in three innings of work after starter Breanna Black threw the first four.
 
Building a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, Nieveen singled and was drive in by Kerrigan Hoshaw's two-out RBI double. Black tossed three shutout innings and the Cougars didn't add to their lead until the top of the fourth. Hoshaw doubled for the second time and was driven in two batters later on Hove's single to left.
 
Black threw another shutout inning, but was forced out in the fifth when William Jewell piled up four hits to take a 3-2 lead. Mathews enters and induced a flyout then Lindsey Mossman and Hove connected for an inning-ending double play to keep the Cardinal lead at one run.
 
USF wasted no time responding, taking back their lead with two runs in the top of the sixth. Nieveen singled to lead off and was sacrificed to second on a bunt. With two outs, Hove drove in her second run on a single then Emily Miller drove in the next run with a single the following at-bat.  
 
Mathews retired the next three batters in order, preserving USF's one-run lead before the Cougar offense erupted for five more in the seventh inning. Sparked by an inning-opening error, Megan Peterson gave the Cougars their first baserunner before Mossman joined her on the bases with a single. Nieveen blasted a three-run homerun, her first of the season, pushing the Cougar lead to 7-3. The next batter, Jasmine Ragusi hit her third homer of the season, a solo shot to add one more run. Continuing the rally, Hoshaw reached on an error and her pinch runner Cassie Van Beek came around to score on Miller's double to left center.
 
With a six-run cushion, Mathews wasted no time earning her second win of the day. Following two outs, Mathews allowed her only hit of the game, but forced a flyout to end the game.
 
Sioux Falls 8, Slippery Rock 1
Behind an impressive pitching performance by senior Breanna Black and six runs in the first inning, Sioux Falls opened their final day in Florida with an 8-1 victory over Slippery Rock (Pa.). Black scattered four hits over five innings of work and USF's balanced offensive attack had eight different Cougars score a run and three hitters drive in two runs each.
 
Sioux Falls racked up five hits, including three doubles, and scored six runs in the first inning. Starting a string of five straight hits and the six first USF hitters reaching safely, Lindsey Mossman doubled to open the game and was driven in on Sydney Nieveen's single. Jasmine Ragusi followed with a single then was driven in, along with Nieveen, on Kerrigan Hoshaw's double. After Ashley Meyer drew a walk, Emily Hove delivered USF's third double of the inning and drove in two more. Following the first out of the inning, Black helped her own cause with an RBI ground ball, reaching safely on a throwing error before the final two outs.
 
With two hits in the bottom of the first, Slippery Rock scored their only run of the game as Black settled in in the circle. Two more doubles in the third inning led to the Cougars' final two runs of the game and an 8-1 lead. Emily Miller doubled with one out and scored with Megan Peterson, who walked with two outs, on Mossman's second double of the game.
 
Black allowed just one hit in each of the third and fourth innings then shook off two walks in the fifth inning to leave the game with an 8-1 lead after five innings of work. Working two innings of relief, Courtney Mathews allowed just two hits to preserve the victory.
 
Sioux Falls 3, Bloomsburg 1
Another gem by starting pitcher Breanna Black and a dominant save from Courtney Mathews helped Sioux Falls lead wire-to-wire for a 3-1 victory over Bloomsburg (Pa.) in their final game of the road trip. Sydney Nieveen capped off a big day with two of USF's six hits and three different Cougars drove in one run each.
 
Following a shutout first inning, USF scored all three of their runs in the bottom half of the opening frame. Lindsey Mossman led off the Cougars' first at-bat with a double, her third of the day, and Nieveen followed with a bunt single. Jasmine Ragusi drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly, which also advanced Nieveen to third. Kerrigan Hoshaw drove in what proved to be the game-winning run with a single up the middle. Emily Hove drove in the third run, singling in Francesca Mickelson, who replaced Hoshaw as a baserunner and stole second to move into scoring position.
 
Black allowed one hit in each of the second and third innings, but kept the Cougars' 3-0 lead intact. Nieveen singled in the second, but USF was unable to add to their lead before Bloomsburg put a dent in it. The Huskies manufactured a run in the fifth, turning a walk into their only score after a sacrifice bunt and two-out single.
 
The Cougars stranded two runners in the fifth after a pair of walks and Emily Miller was left on base in the sixth after a leadoff single. Mathews replaced Black in the circle and retired all six batters she faced, including a pair of strikeouts, earning her fourth save of the season.