TOPEKA, KAN. – With Shayla Running pacing the hitting attack and Sydney Nieveen and Hanna Cress providing solid work on the mound, the University of Sioux Falls Softball Team (7-4) ran its winning streak to three games with a 5-3 win over Fort Hays State and a 6-5 walk-off win over Nebraska-Kearney at the Washburn Invitational on Saturday.
 
With the two wins today, the Cougars have a 3-1 mark at the tournament with games against Pittsburg State at 9 am and Central Missouri at 1 pm on Sunday, March 1.
 
"We are learning more and more about who our team is and what we can do through each and every game," said USF Head Coach Shannon Pivovar. "We've been able to find just about every way to win and that will help us in the long run. We had some gutsy performances on the mound by Syd (Sydney Nieveen), Kait (Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag) and Hanna (Hannah Cress) plus big times hits at the plate. I am proud of all of our kids and their work thus far on the weekend. We are excited for the two games tomorrow," said Pivovar.
 
On the day, Runnning hit .571 with four hits in seven at bats and scored twice with six total bases. Van Der Zwaag hit .500 with two hits, two runs scored, two doubles, and three RBI while Frankie Mickelson had a pair of hits, triple and a stolen base.
 
Quick Look at How USF is doing through 11 games - In 11 games this season, Running is hitting .486 with five RBI and a .500 OBP. Van Der Zwaag is hitting .476 with two HRs and eight RBI and a .905 slugging mark while Frankie Mickelson has moved her average to .343 on the season with a .378 OBP. Also for USF Cassie Van Beek is hitting .323 and leads USF with nine RBI while recording a .371 OBP. As a team USF is hitting .300 with a .372 OBP.
 
USF 5 Fort Hays State 3
With two hits from Running and two RBI from Kaitlyn Van der Zwaag and Emily Cheloha plus a standout effort from Sydney Nieveen on the mound, USF defeated FHSU, 5-3, in the opener on Saturday.
 
Nieveen had her third straight strong outing of the season as she threw a second straight complete game in moving to 2-1 on the season. She allowed nine hits and just two earned runs while striking out two and walking two. She allowed only a single unearned run in the third and two tallies in the seventh inning but shut the door in the final frame by retiring the final two batters on ground outs after FHSU had put a threat together.
 
Over her last three outings (19 2/3 innings) Nieveen has compiled a 1.37 ERA as she has allowed four runs, 21 hits and recorded seven strikeouts with two complete games and a shutout.
 
In the first inning, USF struck with two runs as senior shortstop Lindsey Mossman, who walked, and Running, who singled, scored on a double by Van Der Zwaag, who now has seven RBIs on the season. The Cougars extended their lead to 3-0 in the third inning after Mossman doubled to open the frame and scored when Running had a run-scoring double to left center. Then with two out, senior Emily Cheloha tripled to score both Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag, who was hit by a pitch, and Running, as USF led 5-0. FHSU made a late charge but Nieveen held her ground and stopped their late two-run rally in the seventh inning.
 
USF 6 Nebraska-Kearney 5
Hanna Cress earned her third win and five different players had RBIs as USF earned a 6-5 walk-off win in the second game on Saturday.
Cress allowed three runs on six hits with six strikeouts and a walk in going five innings to move to 3-2 on the season. Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag finished for USF as she tossed two innings and allowed two runs on four hits and had a pair of strikeouts.
 
In the victory, USF had to rally against the Lopers, which led 2-0 after the top of the first inning. However, USF answered with a run in the bottom of the first inning as Mossman, who reached on an error, scored an unearned run on Van Der Zwaag's RBI ground out. USF tallied a run in the third inning when Mickelson tripled and scored on Mossman's sacrifice fly. In the bottom of the fourth inning, USF took the lead with three runs on five hits. Van Der Zwaag opened with a double and scored on Van Beek's double to tie the game at 2-2. Lexie Swift followed with a triple to plate Van Beek and when Nieveen doubled, Swift scored for a 5-2 lead. UNK answered with a run on two hits in the fifth inning to draw within 5-3. The Lopers tied the game at five with two runs on three hits in the top of the seventh inning.
 
However, USF had the answer in the bottom half of the frame. Rachel Klassen walked and Running doubled down the left field line. After Van Der Zwaag walked, Van Beek put the ball in play and an error by UNK allowed Klassen to score the unearned run and give USF a third straight win.