Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 JOPLIN, MO. – The University of Sioux Falls Softball Team (5-4) dropped a pair of nonconference games to Missouri Southern State (5-4) as part of a doubleheader on Monday afternoon. The Cougars lost the first game 4-1, and fell, 6-4, in game two.

Freshman outfielder Lexie Swift had a solid day for USF as she registered six hits in seven at bats. Swift had four singles, two doubles, two runs scored and had a walk. After her performance today, she is now hitting .519 with 14 hits in 27 plate appearances in her freshman campaign. She has three doubles, two triples and three RBI on the year.

Game one: Missouri Southern State 4, Sioux Falls 1
In the first game of the doubleheader, USF racked up eight hits but scored just one run in the, 4-1 loss. USF pitcher Sydney Nieveen (1-1) was charged with the loss after pitching for all six innings. Nieveen allowed four runs on six hits with one strikeout in her second outing of the 2019 season.

Freshman Lexie Swift led the USF offense by going 3-of-3 with two singles, a double and drawing one walk in the contest. Junior Francesca Mickelson went 2-of-2 at the plate while also drawing one walk.

Nieveen pitched a scoreless game through two innings until MSSU broke the tie with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 2-0 lead. USF answered in the top of the fourth after Sarah Keen reached on an error and later scored off a single by Kylie Madrid.

USF threatened to score again in the fifth as Nieveen led off the inning with a double to center field, but was stranded as USF trailed MSSU, 2-1.

MSSU added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 4-1 lead and then closed out the Cougars in the seventh inning to take the opener.

Game two: Missouri Southern State 6, Sioux Falls 4
USF had a strong pitching outing from junior Courtney Mathews (3-2) and had a 3-1 lead but fell to MSSU, 6-4, who rallied late in the game for the win.

Mathews started for the Cougars and took the loss despite going 4 1/3 innings while allowing four hits and two earned runs with one strikeout. Hoshaw relieved Mathews in the fourth and worked 1 2/3 innings as she allowed four hits and four earned runs with a strikeout.

As was the case in the opener, Swift led USF on offense with three hits in four at bats with two singles and a double and two runs scored. Cassie Van Beek also had a good game at the plate with a pair of hits in four at bats while scoring a run and knocking in a run. Nieveen recorded one hit in three appearances with one run scored and one RBI.
MSSU broke the scoreless tie and took an early, 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning after Josie Tofpi singled up the middle to score Makaila Leonhart.

USF responded in the top of the fifth inning when Van Beek singled to right field to score Swift and advance Nieveen to second. Emily Uitts then hit an RBI single to right field to score Nieveen and move Hoshaw to second and Van Beek to third. Lindsey Mossman drew a bases loaded walk to score Van Beek and USF took a 3-1 lead.

MSSU responded in the bottom half of the fifth inning with a run of their own to cut USF's lead to 3-2.

USF extended their lead to 4-2 in the top of the sixth inning when Nieveen laced an RBI single through the right side of the infield to score Swift, who had doubled to open the frame.

MSSU opened the bottom of the sixth inning with a two-run homerun from Erika Lutgen to tie the game at 4-4. MSSU added two more runs in the inning on a pair of run-scoring hits with one out to take the lead, 6-4, and closed out USF in the seventh inning.

USF will return to action against Truman State on March 11 at the Clermont Florida Games in Leesberg Florida.