Box Score DENVER, Colo – With a home run and two RBI from Emily Hove and two RBIs each from Emily Cheloha and Lindsey Mossman, the University of Sioux Falls Softball Team (1-0) opened the 2019 season with a 9-5 nonconference win over Metro State on Friday night at the Regency Athletic Complex. USF also had a home run from sophomore catcher Emmie Uitts, who hit the first of her career.

With the victory, the Cougars helped head coach Shannon Pivovar win her first game as the head coach at USF.

The Cougars opened up a 1-0 lead in the second inning. After MSU took a 3-1 lead, USF rallied for a 5-4 advantage with three runs in the fifth inning. MSU tied the game at 5-5 before USF scored three runs in the sixth inning and added another run in the seventh inning to win the opener.

USF's offense was led by freshman outfielder Lexie Swift, who had two hits, including both a double and a triple, and two runs scored while All-NSIC junior standout Sydney Nieveen had two hits, two runs and an RBI. Junior infielders Emily Cheloha and Lindsey Mossman also had two RBI while senior infielder Emily Hove had her home run to go with two runs scored and two RBI. Junior outfielder Frankie Mickelson also had two hits and an RBI.

Picking up the win in relief was junior Courtney Mathews, who threw three innings in relief of senior starter Kerrigan Hoshaw. Mathews allowed five hits and a run with three strikeouts in three innings of work. Hoshaw, who tossed four innings, allowed five hits and three earned runs with three strikeouts in her stint on the mound.

Kylee Burnside took the loss for MSU as she allowed six hits and four runs in three innings. Darby McGhee started for MSU and gave up four earned runs and four hits in four innings. Celyn Whitt led the MSU offense with three hits and two RBI.

Scoring Recap -
After a scoreless first inning, Mickelson had a two-out run-scoring double to plate senior Emily Miller as USF led, 1-0, in the first inning. MSU responded with three runs in the second, including a triple by Whitt.

The Cougars pulled within 3-2 when Hove hit her first home of the season and the 12^th of her career.

After MSU extended the lead to 4-2 on an unearned run, USF had the answer with a three-run fifth inning. First, Nieveen had a run-scoring single to score Swift, who had doubled. With Ashley Meyer and Nieveen in scoring position, Mossman hit a two-run single to center field for a 5-4 lead. The Roadrunners responded and tied the game in the fifth inning on Whitt's RBI single.

However, USF's offense was ready to answer that tally.  In the sixth inning, USF took the lead for good when Swift tripled and scored on a fielder's choice grounder by Hove.  Then after Nieveen reached, both she and Hove scored on Cheloha's two-run double to left field. Then, Uitts added an insurance run with her home run in the top of the seventh inning.

The Cougars will play a pair of games on Saturday against the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs at 2 p.m. (MST) and Metro State at 4 p.m. (MST) at the Regency Athletic Complex in Denver.