SIOUX FALLS – Wrapping up the regular season, University of Sioux Falls Softball heads to Northern Minnesota for a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheaders. The Cougars (26-17, 11-9 NSIC) square off with Minnesota Crookston (6-36, 2-18 NSIC) on Saturday, April 28 at 1 and 3 p.m. then face Bemidji State (15-25, 4-14 NSIC) in the season finale at 12 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 29.
 
On deck
With two wins this weekend, Sioux Falls can clinch a spot in the NSIC Tournament, which will be held in Sioux Falls, S.D. – co-hosted by USF and Augustana – on May 3-5.
 
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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.
 
Series Histories: USF looking to avenge last season's losses
            vs. Minnesota Crookston – USF leads 9-2
After winning the first seven games against Minnesota Crookston, USF Softball has split the last two doubleheaders against the Golden Eagles. The Cougars averaged more than eight runs per game in the first seven meeting and held UMC to 15 runs in their seven-game winning streak, including a pair of shutout victories (6-0 and 8-0) in their 2015 doubleheader sweep. The Cougars dropped their first game against UMC, 9-4, before rebounding to win game two, 10-6, in the first series hosted by UMC since USF joined the NSIC. Last year, the Cougars rolled to a 9-0 game-one victory behind Kerrigan Hoshaw and Breanna Black's combined three-hit pitching performance. However, USF's bat struggled in game two, mustering just six hits in a 5-2 loss. The Cougars are 1-1 on the road against Minnesota Crookston and 8-2 against the Golden Eagles in NSIC regular season games.
 
            vs. Bemidji State – USF leads 8-1
Riding an eight-game winning streak against Bemidji State into the third round of the NSIC Tournament last season, the Cougars dropped their first game against the Beavers in a defensive struggle.  USF was held to four hits in the 3-1 loss, which ended their 2017 season, despite sweeping the season series. USF swept the first doubleheader with a pair of one-run victories in 2013 then swept the 2014 doublehader by a combined 19-0 margin. In 2015, USF stayed unbeaten with 3-2 and 8-7 victories and the 2016 series was canceled due to weather. Last season, Kerrigan Hoshaw threw a complete-game, three-hit shutout in USF's 3-0 victory, then the Cougars hit five doubles and Breanna Black worked three shutout innings in relief to earn the win by a 6-4 margin. This is the first meeting for the two programs in Bemidji, Minn. and USF is 8-0 against the Beavers in NSIC regular season game, losing the only nonconference/postseason matchup last year.
 
Mickelson hits walkoff single to help USF upset No. 13 Augustana
Snapping a six-game losing skid to their city rivals, USF earned a 4-3 walkoff victory over No. 13 Augustana and split their doubleheader with the Vikings on Wednesday. The Cougars led by three runs after RBI singles from freshman Cassie Van Beek and junior Kerrigan Hoshaw, but Augustana tied the game at 3-3 entering the seventh inning. Sophomore Courtney Mathews tossed consecutive shutout innings to keep the game tied before Francesca Mickelson drove in Sydney Nieveen for the game-winning run and a walkoff victory over their rivals. USF kept pace in game two, cutting a three-run deficit to one run with a string of hits in the fourth inning, but a seventh-inning surge by AU gave them a 6-2 lead, which held for the doubleheader split.
 
Van Beek shines in first starting action
After earning playing time in the field against St. Cloud State, freshman Cassie Van Beek earned her first start in the Cougar lineup against Augustana and did not disappoint against USF's rivals. A native of Rock Valley, Iowa, Van Beek went 3-for-3 in game one, including her first RBI, and she followed it up with a single and run scored in game two. Used primarily as a pinch runner before this week, Van Beek has stolen four bases and scored 10 runs this season. She was also a wall at third base for the Cougars, posting a perfect. 1.000 fielding percentage with seven putouts and 15 assists.
 
Nieveen paces offense, finding any way on base
Redshirt sophomore Sydney Nieveen has been a driving force for the USF offense, leading the team in numerous statistical categories. The Lincoln, Neb. native is batting a team-high .352, recording 50 hits, including six doubles and six homeruns. With the help of seven walks and an NSIC-leading 16 hits-by-pitch, Nieveen has a team-high .439 on-base percentage. Nieveen's average of 0.37 hit-by-pitch per game is 11th in NCAA Division II this season. She has driven in 25 runs and scored a team-high 42, which is nearly one per game and ranks 10th in the league.