WAYNE, Neb. – Looking for their first doubleheader sweep in the series against Wayne State, University of Sioux Falls won the first game before dropping the second on Wednesday evening. The Cougars (24-11, 9-3 NSIC) hit four homeruns in game one, taking the first leg of the doubleheader by a 9-6 margin. IN game two, USF built an early lead, but a handful of errors allowed Wayne State to score five unearned runs and win, 10-7, despite Sydney Nieveen's second homerun of the day.
 
Sioux Falls is scheduled to host University of Mary and Minot State this weekend, but weather forecasts could change the site and dates of the games. Stay tuned to usfcougars.com for any schedule changes.
 
Sioux Falls 9, Wayne State 6
Behind four homeruns and a resilient complete-game effort by starting pitcher Kerrigan Hoshaw, Sioux Falls earned their first win at Wayne State, a 9-6 decision. Hoshaw hit a two-run homerun and Sydney Nieveen, Emily Hove, and Breanna Black all added solo homeruns as the Cougars finished the game with a 13-6 advantage in hits.
 
Sioux Falls scored a run in each of the first two innings, using a bases-loaded walk by Hove to push across the first run then an RBI single by Nieveen for a 2-0 lead in the second. USF's two-run lead was short-lived as Wayne State capitalized on a trio of walks to score five runs and take a 5-2 lead.
 
The Cougars left the bases loaded in the third inning, keeping their deficit at three runs, but Hoshaw settled in and shut the Wildcats out their next three trips to the plate.
 
USF cut into the Wayne State lead with a pair of runs in the fourth inning. Ashley Meyer and Hoshaw each worked walks with one out and Francesca Mickelson drove in the first run with an RBI double. Following an flyout, Emily Miller drove in the second run of the inning, scoring pinch runner Cassie Van Beek with a single.
 
Down one run with two outs in the top of the fifth inning, Nieveen completed USF's comeback with a solo homerun to tie the game at 5-5. After Hoshaw's third consecutive shutout inning, Hove gave the Cougars a lead, hitting a solo homerun with one out. After a flyout, Black doubled USF's lead with her solo homerun, putting USF on top 7-5.
 
Wayne State responded in the sixth inning, hitting a solo homerun to cut USF's lead to one run, 7-6. However, USF again struck with two outs. Nieveen drew a one-out walk and advanced to second to second on a groundout, bringing Hoshaw to the plate. Padding her own lead, Hoshaw homered down the right field line, giving the Cougars a 9-6 advantage.
 
Wasting no time closing out the game, Hoshaw worked a perfect seventh inning, preserving the Cougars' lead for her sixth win of the season.
 
Wayne State 10, Sioux Falls 7
Despite holding a four-run lead and a three-run homerun by Sydney Nieveen in the sixth inning, Sioux Falls dropped game two at Wayne State 10-7. A combined five errors by the two teams led to 12 unearned runs, including the last five by Wayne State.
 
The Cougars were the first to capitalize on Wayne State's miscues, scoring four unearned runs in the top of the second inning. Lindsey Mossman drove home the first two with a two RBI single. Loading the bases, Nieveen doubled and Ashley Meyer followed with a double, scoring two more runs for the Cougars.
 
A three-run homerun trimmed USF's lead to one run in the bottom of the second inning and a two-run double gave the Wildcats a 5-4 lead at the end of the third. A pair of USF errors allowed WSC to extend their advantage, scoring twice more in the fourth.
 
Mossman was the only Cougar to record a hit in the third, fourth or fifth innings, and Wayne State tacked on three more unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Down by six runs, Nieveen capitalized on a Wayne State error again, hitting her second homerun of the day and fifth of the season. Nieveen's three-run blast cut the Cougars' deficit in half, trailing 10-7 after the top of the sixth.
 
Coming on in relief, Courtney Mathews threw three innings, surrendering five runs, all of which were unearned. In the bottom of the sixth, Mathews induced a double play to erase the lone WSC baserunner, giving the Cougars a chance to erase their three-run deficit.
 
With two outs, Emily Hove doubled to put a runner in scoring position and Emily Cheloha worked a walk, but the Cougar rally ended on a groundout to shortstop, handing USF a 10-7 loss.