SIOUX FALLS – Tied for the best conference start in six years, University of Sioux Falls Softball heads to Wayne State on Wednesday, April 11 for a doubleheader at 2 and 4 p.m. at the Pete Chapman Softball Complex. Coming off a three-win road trip, the Cougars enter Wednesday's twinbill with a 23-10 record, including an 8-2 mark in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, which has them tied for second. WSC also picked up three wins on the road last weekend and have a 10-21 overall record, 4-8 in the NSIC.
 
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Never miss an update for USF Softball by following the Cougars on social media. Check out the twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube accounts for all 17 USF Athletics accounts at usfcougars.com/socialmedia. Live stats for all USF Softball home games are available at usfcougars.com/livestats and links to live stats for all NSIC games are on the USF Softball schedule.  Weather permitting, all USF Softball home games will be streamed for free through Stretch Internet at usfcougars.com/watch and links to away games are on the USF Softball schedule.
 
USF offense clicking to start NSIC schedule
Through the first third of the league schedule, USF Softball owns one of the top offenses in the league. With a .322 team batting average, Sioux Falls ranks sixth in the league, connecting on and even 100 hits, which is tied for fourth in the conference. Of those 100 hits, USF has 15 doubles, a pair of triples and 11 homeruns, for a team .487 slugging percentage. The 11 homeruns are second in the league, trailing only University of Mary's 12.
 
Individually, Sioux Falls has six hitters above .300 in conference play. Leading the way is sophomore Ashley Meyer, who is 16-for-38 in league play a .421 average that ranks 19th in the conference. Meyer's four homeruns and three doubles lead her to an .816 slugging percentage, the eighth-highest mark in the league. Kerrigan Hoshaw is second in both batting average (.364) and slugging percentage (.697), hitting two doubles and three homeruns.
 
Pivotal in USF's 10-inning victory over MSU Moorhead last weekend, Megan Peterson is putting together an impressive senior season. The Omaha, Neb. native is third on the Cougars with a .345 batting average in league play, and she has scored 11 runs, second only to Sydney Nieveen, whose 13 runs scored in NSIC play leads the league. Nieveen is also one spot behind Peterson with a .345 batting average in conference games, including a walkoff homerun over Southwest Minnesota State.
 
The NSIC's offensive player of the week in the final non-conference tune-ups, Lindsey Mossman has stayed hot to open conference competition. Mossman is fifth on USF with a .317 batting average, including two doubles, a triple and homerun, helping her to 11 runs batted in, third on the team behind Meyer and Hoshaw, who have both driven in 14 runs. Wrapping up USF's stable of .300-plus hitters, senior Breanna Black has a .310 average through the start of league play, including a homerun and team-high four doubles.
 
Bringing depth to the Cougars, USF's trio of infielders are leaving no gaps in their lineup. Emily Miller is at .292, Emily Hove has 10 hits, a .278 average and four RBI, and Emily Cheloha has increased her average to .263 with clutch at-bats. The three Emilys strung together three straight RBI hits with two outs in USF's 5-2, 10-inning win over MSU Moorhead last weekend.
 
Series History: WSC leads 8-4
Despite the four-game slant in Wayne State's favor, the USF-WSC series has produced some thrilling games. In the past three years, the two teams have met eight times, splitting 4-4. Sioux Falls is looking to stop the trend of road losses at Wayne State. Heading into Wednesday's doubleheader, the Wildcats hold a 5-0 edge over the Cougars in games played in Wayne, Neb. Most recently, USF's trip south resulted in two 9-1 losses during the 2016 season. However, the Cougars responded with an 11-1 victory in the NSIC Tournament, eliminating the Wildcats. Last season, USF and Wayne State split the series as the Cougars earned a 5-2 victory after a 7-5 defeat. Sydney Nieveen and Kerrigan Hoshaw were two of four Cougars to record multiple hits in the win, and Courtney Mathews picked up the eighth win of her freshman season.