SIOUX FALLS – After opening 7-6, the University of Sioux Falls Softball Team will continue a busy schedule as they travel to Florida for 10 games as part of the Spring Games in Clermont, Fla. The Cougars, which will not play at home until opening the NSIC portion of its schedule on March 24 against SW Minn. State, is coming off a 3-3 weekend at the Washburn Invitational.

Schedule Breakdown --

The Cougars, directed by second year Head Coach Shannon Pivovar, will try and end their two-game losing streak on the line as they face Bentley (Mass.) (5-5) at 9 am on Wednesday at the Auburndale Complex. USF is 0-1 vs. Bentley, falling 7-6 on March 13, 2013. Later on Wednesday, the Cougars will face California (Pa.) (2-8) at 11:15 am.

USF is 2-0 against California with a 10-0 win on March 12, 2018 and a 6-1 decision on March 11, 2017.  

On Thursday, March 12, the Cougars will face Bridgeport (4-4) at 9:15 am and then play New York Tech (0-0) at 11:15 am at the Diamond Plex in Clermont, Fla.

Against Bridgeport, USF is 2-0 but the teams have not played in five years. In the last matchup USF took a 9-6 victory on March 20, 2015. The Cougars also recorded a 6-4 victory on March 12, 2013. USF is 1-2 all-time against NYT with a 42 loss a year ago (March 16, 2019), also in Clermont, Fla. On March 17, 2015, the Cougars registered a 9-2 win but lost, 4-0, on March 16 2013. All the games were part of the Spring Games in Florida.

USF has another pair of games on Friday, March 13 as they will face Franklin Pierce at 1:45 pm and Wayne State (Mich.) (7-4) at 3:45 pm at the Diamond Plex.

USF is 1-0 all-time with Franklin Pierce as they won 8-0 on March 12, 2017. In that win, Lindsey Mossman had two of USF's 14 hits as the Cougars won in six innings. USF is 0-3 vs. Wayne State with all three games in March of 2015. USF lost 7-0 on March 20, 2015 and 3-1 and 9-0 on March 21, 2015.

After a day off on Saturday, March 14, the Cougars play two on Sunday, March 15 as they battle Caldwell University (1-1) at 9 am and Palm Beach Atlantic (15-11) at 11:15 am at the Diamond Plex.

USF is 1-2 against Caldwell with the most recent setback on March 11, 2018.  In the first match up on March 17, 2015, USF took a 6-3 decision before dropping a close contest, 3-2, on March 12, 2017.  USF and PBA will play for the first time.

USF wraps up the Florida trip on Monday, March 16 with games against Purdue University Northwest (Ind.) (2-7) at 9 am and Pace University (6-0) at 11:15 am with both games at the Diamond Plex.

USF has played PUN just once, falling 8-4 on March 11, 2018. USF also has faced Pace just once, a 6-5 setback on March 18, 2015.
 
Breaking Down USF through 13 games
Through 13 games, USF has earned seven wins. In a high-scoring affair, USF took an 11-4 decision over Metro State on Feb. 1 and an 8-7 win over Colorado School of Mines on Feb. 2. USF lost the opener to Metro State by a 4-3 decision in nine innings. CSM also defeated USF, 7-3, on Feb. 2 to close out USF's opening season four-game triangular in Colorado.

At the ESU 5-State Classic in Emporia and Topeka, Kan., the Cougars took two of three games. The Cougars had solid pitching during the tournament. After a 7-2 loss to Emporia State, the Cougars rallied for a 3-2 win over Missouri Western State and then shutout Washburn, 2-0, as senior Sydney Nieveen had her first career shutout. She scattered 10 hits with her fourth complete game. At the tournament, she allowed just one earned run in two appearances and had a 0.70 ERA. In the 3-2 win over MWSU, freshman Hanna Cress had her best performance at USF. After allowing two unearned runs, she shut down the Griffons over the final four innings by retiring 12-of-13 hitters and registering four strikeouts. She had a career-best nine strikeouts and no walks in the win. USF rallied as freshman Shayla Running had a game-tying RBI and Cassie Van Beek delivered the go-ahead RBI on a run-scoring single. Van Beek also had a two-run hit in the 2-0 win over Washburn.

In a six-game run at the Washburn Invite, USF was 3-3. USF opened with a 13-6 loss to Emporia State before Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag threw her first career shutout  in a 2-0 win on Feb. 28. She allowed just two hits. USF registered a 5-3 win over Fort Hays State as Sydney Nieveen threw a complete game and Van Der Zwaag had a two-run double and Shayla Running had two hits and an RBI. In a 6-5 win over Nebraska-Kearney, Hanna Cress earned her third win of the season and five different players had RBIs as the Cougars had a walk-off win. Cress allowed three runs on six hits with six strikeouts in going five innings. Van Der Zwaag finished for USF. Cassie Van Beek's ground ball plated Rachel Klassen as the Cougars won in walk-off style. Frank Mickelson and Running had two hits. USF loss on March to Pittsburg State, 3-0, and Central Missouri, 6-5. In the loss to UCM, USF trailed 4-0 before railing for a 5-4 lead but falling by a run.

Van Der Zwaag leads NSIC in three hitting categories
USF's offense, which ranks ninth in the NSIC with a .295 batting average, is led by sophomore Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag, who is hitting .536 with two HR, nine RBI, .857 slugging mark and .667 OBP. Van Der Zwaag, who has a nine-game hitting streak. She ranks second in the NSIC in hitting and leads in OBP and fourth in slugging. She was recently named to the Washburn Invitational after throwing a shout and hit .588. She helped USF go 3-3 at the Washburn Invitational as she collected 10 hits in 17 at-bats for a .588 average. At the tourney, she had five runs scored, seven RBI, 15 total bases, HR and three extra base hits. She registered an .882 slugging mark with a .682 OBP. Also at the tourney, she threw a two-hit shutout against Washburn, which was the first of her career. She made four pitching appearances and had 14 strikeouts in 17.2 innings (4.58 era). In the final of the tourney, she had three hits for the second time in her career in a 6-5 setback to Central Missouri.

Freshman infielder Shayla Running is hitting .4-5 with five RBI and a slugging mark of .500 with a .419 OBP. Centerfielder/catcher Frankie Mickelson is hitting .317 with three RBI, .488 slugging mark, and .364 OBP.USF also has Emmie Uitts at .316 and Cassie Van Beek at .306 among starters hitting over .300. Van Beek is tied with Vander Der Zwaag in RBI with nine and has a .417 slugging mark.

Nieveen leading pitching staff with a 1.75 era
USF pitching staff, which is ninth in the NSIC with a 4.12 ERA, is led by a four-person contingent. Senior Sydney Nieveen is 2-1 with a 1.75 ERA in five appearances and three starts. She has 12 strikeouts and allowed seven earned runs with a shutout, two complete game and held opponents to a .265 average. Freshman Hanna Cress is 3-3 with a 4.85 ERA, two complete games, a save and a team-high 28 strrikeouts in 26 innings. Van Der Zwaag is 2-2 with a 5.25 era, complete game, shutout and 16 strikeouts in 24 innings. Freshman Kadel Karrington has a 0-0 record with a 6.10 ERA in three appearances and one start.