ABERDEEN, S.D. – After dropping a heartbreaker in the first game, University of Sioux Falls Softball erupted in game two to split with Northern State on Friday night. The Cougars fell victim to a walkoff loss in game one, falling 3-2 after Kerrigan Hoshaw's two-run homerun in the first inning didn't hold. In game two, USF capitalized on an error in the top of the sixth inning to score 10 runs and win, 13-4, in six innings. USF improves to 21-10 for the season with a 6-2 record in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play.
 
Sioux Falls wraps up their road trip against MSU Moorhead at 2 and 4 p.m. in Aberdeen, S.D. at the Presentation College Dome.
 
Northern State 3, Sioux Falls 2
After winning a trip of games in walkoff fashion last week, Sioux Falls was on the wrong end of a walkoff victory as Northern State broke a tie in the bottom of the seventh, handing the Cougars a 3-2 defeat in game one. Kerrigan Hoshaw connected on her fourth homerun of the season and had two of USF's four hits. Courtney Mathews suffered her first loss in 13 appearances, dropping her season record to 8-3.
 
The Cougars wasted no time building a lead as Hoshaw hit a two-run homerun in the top of the first, driving in herself and Sydney Nieveen, who singled with one out. Northern State cut their deficit in half with a run in the bottom half of the first inning.
 
The USF offense dried up after their two-run first inning as Francesca Mickelson managed a two-out hit in the fourth inning and Hoshaw added her second hit in the top of the seventh. Northern State tied the game at 2-2 with a run in the fifth, where it would hold until the bottom of the seventh.
 
Mathews relieved starting pitcher Hoshaw after allowed two earned runs on four hits while striking out six batters. Mathews avoided any damage in the sixth, stranding one runner.
 
Hoshaw led off the top of the seventh with a single and pinch runner Miranda White was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. White advanced no further after a strikeout and Emily Cheloha's line drive was snagged by the NSU third baseman.
 
In the bottom half, Northern State capitalized on their leadoff hitter reaching first after being hit by a pitch then advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt. Mathews struck out the next batter and was one out from escaping before a two-strike single to right field drove in the game-winning run.
 
Sioux Falls 13, Northern State 4 (6 innings)
Falling behind early in the game, Sioux Falls scored 12 unanswered runs, including 10 in the sixth inning, to earn 13-4 win over Northern State in six innings. Breanna Black picked up her ninth win of the season, allowing two runs in six innings of work. Ashley Meyer went 3-for-4 at the plate, including a double and homerun, while Lindsey Mossman's grand slam capped off USF's 10-run inning, giving the Cougars the cushion to win in six innings.
 
The Cougars held a brief lead to start the game as Emily Hove's RBI single followed base hits by Mossman and Meyer for a 1-0 advantage. Northern State answered with an unearned run in the bottom half to tie the game at 1-1.
 
Emily Cheloha and Black led off the second with consecutive singles, but the Cougars couldn't retake the lead. Northern State seized their opportunity and built a 3-1 lead, scoring twice in the bottom of the second.
 
Hove logged her second hit of the game, but USF came up empty in the third and fourth innings. Black was up to task, shutting out the Wolves in their trips to the plate.
 
In the fifth inning, USF tied the game with a pair of hits and a costly NSU error. Sydney Nieveen led off with a single and was moved to third on Meyer's double the following at-bat. Kerrigan Hoshaw drove her teammate in with a sacrifice fly and Hove plated another, reaching on a two-out error.
 
With the game tied, Black threw her third consecutive shutout inning, setting up the Cougars' big sixth frame. She led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch, advancing to second on Megan Peterson's sacrifice bunt, then scored the go-ahead run on Nieveen's RBI double. Meyer stayed hot at the plate, hitting a two-run homerun, her seventh dinger of the season, putting the Cougars up 6-3.
 
Following a pitching change, Hoshaw singled to restart the rally. A pair of Northern State errors extended the Cougars' inning and scored two more runs. Cheloha singled to drive in the sixth run of the inning and Black followed with a base hit in her second plate appearance of the inning. After a Peterson walk, Mossman stepped to the plate and hit her fourth homerun of the season and her first career grand slam, giving USF a 13-3 lead.
 
The Wolves managed an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth inning, but Black put the clamps down with a game-ending groundout for the 13-4 win.