Box Score LEESBURG, FLA. — Freshman Lexie Swift hits first collegiate homerun as the University of Sioux Falls Softball Team (5-5) dropped a hard-fought, 6-5 decision to Truman State (7-1) in the first game of their Florida road trip.

Senior Kerrigan Hoshaw started on the bump for USF and went 4 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits with six strikeouts in the contest. Junior Courtney Mathews (3-3) received the loss after coming in as relief for Hoshaw in the fifth inning. Mathews pitched two innings and allowed three runs, two of which were earned, on five hits and struck out one batter.

As a team, USF recorded nine hits on 34 at-bats on the afternoon. The Cougars scored five runs and drew five walks in the loss.

Swift, a freshman from Omaha, Neb., led the USF offense by going four-of-four from the plate with a homerun, double, and two singles. She also scored twice in the contest and drew one walk.

Senior infielder Emily Hove recorded two hits in five at-bats with a triple, RBI and a run scored in the game. Pinch hitter Sarah Keen capitalized on her lone at-bat with a hit and one run scored.

Game recap
USF jumped out to a quick, 3-0 lead on three hits and capitalized on a Truman State error. Swift singled to right field to lead off the Cougars and scored shortly after on an RBI triple from Hove. Sydney Nieveen reached on a fielding error by the shortstop while Hove scored in the process. Hoshaw then drew a walk and Alex Meyer singled up the middle to score Nieveen for the third run of the inning.

Truman answered in the bottom half of the first inning with one unearned run of their own to cut the USF lead to, 3-1.

The Bulldogs evened the game up in the bottom of the third inning after Alyssa Rivera singled up the middle to score both Christa Reisinger and Taylor Spencer who had previously reached on a single and a walk, respectively.

Truman added two more runs on three hits in the fifth inning to open up a lead at 5-3.

Swift ended the USF scoring drought in the top of the sixth inning when she homered to straight away center field. USF then held Truman to a scoreless bottom half of the sixth inning.

The Cougars entered the seventh inning down, 5-4 to Truman. With one out in the inning, Kylan Straight pitch hit for Linsey Mossman and hit a single into center field. She stole second and advanced to third on a sacrifice fly to center field by Cassie Van Beek. Junior catcher Francesca Mickelson singled to right field to score Straight and tie the score up at, 5-5.

In the bottom of the seventh, Truman started off with a single to left field by Emma Walbert who then advanced to second on a passed ball. Rivera then bunted and reached on an error which advanced Walbert to third. Rivera stole second, and after recording a line out to second base, the Bulldogs successfully ran a suicide squeeze to score Walbert and win the game, 6-5, on an unearned run.

USF will look to bounce back as they face Northwood tomorrow at 10:45 a.m., in Leesburg, Fla. The Cougars will then turn around and play Rockhurst at 1 p.m.