TOPEKA, KAN. – The University of Sioux Falls (7-6), despite five hits in seven at bats from Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag, dropped a pair of games on Sunday at the Washburn Invitational. The Cougars dropped a 3-0 decision to Pittsburg State and then fell to Central Missouri, 6-5.

USF will next be in action when they travel to Clermont, Fla., for the Spring Games from March 11-16. USF opens a slate 10 games against Bentley (Mass.) at 9 am on March 11 and later face California (Penn.) at 11:15 am on the same day.

Here is a breakdown of the games played at the Washburn Invitational --

GAME 1 – Pittsburg State 3 Sioux Falls
In a pitching duel, the Cougars dropped a 3-0 decision to Pittsburg State despite a strong outing from sophomore Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag.

In working six innings, Van Der Zwaag (2-2) allowed five hits and three runs with a walk and five strikeouts in facing 25 hitters. USF was limited to four hits across seven innings by Amy Burnett (3-6). She had four strikeouts and a walk in facing 27 batters.

CMU scored all three of their runs in the third inning, which included a two-run home run by Goswick. Van Der Zwaag has two of USF's four hits. Sydney Nieveen and Lexie Swift (double) also had base hits.

Game 2 – Central Missouri 6 Sioux Falls 5
In game two, USF trailed 4-0 before rallying to take the lead and then falling as the Jennies had two in the fifth inning to take the lead and hold on for the win.
The Cougars outhit Central Missouri, 12-10, as Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag led USF with three hits in four at bats with an RBI and run scored. A sophomore, Van Der Zwaag had three hits for the second time in her career and is now hitting a team-high .536 with nine RBI, which also is tied for the team high (Cassie Van Beek, 9). She has a nine-game hitting streak and had 11 hits in 17 at bats at the tourney for a .647 average. USF also had two hits from senior shortstop Lindsey Mossman and two hits from Kylan Straight and Emmie Uitts. Sydney Nieveen had a double and three RBI.

Kadel Karington started for USF and allowed four runs on seven hits in 1 2/3 innings. Fellow freshman Hanna Cress (3-3) took over in the second inning and worked 4 1/3 innings with a solid performance. She allowed three hits and two runs with four strikeouts but took the loss.

CMU scored in the first inning as Jessica Sader had a two-out run-scoring single for a 1-0 lead. Then Sydney Wellshear had another two-out RBI as the Jennies took a 2-0 lead. The Jennies added two more runs in the second in RBI from Ashlyn Cook and Bailey Fowler, which led to the change in pitching from Kadel Karington to Hanna Cress.

In the third inning, USF answered with a run as Mossman singled to open the inning and Van Der Zwaag knocked in her ninth run of the season to plate Mossman and cut the lead to 4-1. After base hits by Cassie Van Beek and Straight loaded the bases, Nieveen doubled to plate all three runners as the Cougars drew into a 4-4 tie. Emmie Uitts followed with a shot down the left field line to plate Nieveen and the Cougars had a five-run inning and a lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Jennies plated two runs to grab the lead and then held off the Cougars in the final two innings.