CROOKSTON, Minn. – Allowing just one run in two games, University of Sioux Falls Softball rolled to two victories at Minnesota Crookston on Saturday. The Cougars (28-17, 13-9 NSIC) scored five runs in the third inning of game one and cruised to a 9-1 win. In game two, Breanna Black threw six shutout innings and led USF to a 5-0 victory for the third sweep of Minnesota Crookston in their series.
 
At 13-9 in the NSIC, Sioux Falls is tied for sixth and have clinched a berth in the conference tournament, which USF will co-host with Augustana on May 3-5 in Sioux Falls. The Cougars are currently tied for sixth with one doubleheader remaining, a 12 p.m. twinbill against Bemidji State on Sunday, April 29 in Bemidji, Minn.
 
Sioux Falls 9, Minnesota Crookston 1
Lindsey Mossman hit a homerun to spark a five-run third inning while Kerrigan Hoshaw allowed just three hits in six innings to pave the way for USF's 9-1 victory over Minnesota Crookston in game one. Hoshaw and Cassie Van Beek both finished with three hits and joined Mossman with two RBI each. The Cougars out-hit Minnesota Crookston by a 17-5 margin as eight different Cougars recorded a hit, including two-hit outings by Sydney Nieveen, Emil y Hove, Miranda White, and Megan Peterson.
 
Minnesota Crookston took a brief lead on a solo homerun in the bottom of the second inning. USF quickly answered in the top of the third, led by Mossman's homerun.
 
Following a one-out single by Peterson, Mossman connected on her fifth homerun of the season to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead. Nieveen kept the Cougars rolling with a double and was driven in on Hoshaw's first hit. Francesca Mickelson walked and Hove singled to load the bases. Van Beek continued her hot streak since entering the starting lineup, driving in two more runs with an RBI single.
 
Peterson and Nieveen each singled in the fourth inning, but the Cougars couldn't add to their 5-1 lead. In the top of the fifth, Van Beek and White both singled and stole bases, setting up Van Beek's run on a wild pitch.
 
Hoshaw worked her fifth shutout inning of the game, finishing with a final line of one run on three hits with two strikeouts for her eighth win of the season. Tacking on insurance runs, the Cougars scored three times with four hits in the top of the seventh inning.
 
Van Beek and White singled to lead off and stole their second bases of the game. After Peterson drove in Van Beek with a sacrifice fly, Emily Cheloha worked a walk. Ashley Meyer singled in the next run and Hoshaw drove in the final run of the inning, giving the Cougars a 9-1 lead.
 
Courtney Mathews replaced Hoshaw in the circle and worked out of a jam, stranding two UMC runners to preserve USF's 9-1 lead.
 
Sioux Falls 5, Minnesota Crookston 0
Breanna Black threw six shutout innings and Ashley Meyer hit her 11th homerun of the season, leading Sioux Falls to a 5-0 win, completing the sweep against Minnesota Crookston. Meyer, Sydney Nieveen and Kerrigan Hoshaw all posted two hits each as the Cougars out-hit the Golden Eagles, 9-6.
 
Black and UMC starter Kassidy Klaphake traded shutout innings through three innings before the Cougars scored an unearned run in the top of the fourth. After Meyer reached on an error and advanced to second base, Hoshaw fouled off nine pitches then drove in Meyer with a single to break the scoreless tie.
 
Megan Peterson singled to lead off the fifth inning then was driven in on Nieveen's single. Meyer then connected on her two-run homerun, pushing USF's lead to four runs. Hoshaw re-ignited the rally with a double and was replaced by pinch runner Miranda White. After advancing to third on a groundout, White scored when Emily Hove reached on an error.
 
With a 5-0 lead, Black allowed just her fifth hit of the day, a single in the bottom of the fifth inning, but kept her shutout intact with her sixth strikeout. Nieveen singled and Meyer doubled for each of their second hits and Black induced three groundouts to finish her outing with no runs allowed.
 
Courtney Mathews entered in the seventh inning and allowed one hit, but preserved the shutout with a trio of groundouts.