TOPEKA, KAN. – With a strong day in the circle and at the plate, Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag led the University of Sioux Falls Softball Team (3-3) to a split for the third day in a row at the Washburn Invitational, which concluded on Sunday. USF earned a 3-1 win over Central Missouri (4-2) after falling to host Washburn (7-6) in a game that wasn't decided until the final pitch.

USF Head Coach Shannon Pivovar was pleased with the effort and work from her team which finished 3-3 during the three days at the Washburn Invitational.

"Our team did a lot of really good things today. We competed at the plate, pitched well and made some good defensive plays to back our pitchers up," said Pivovar. "Kait (Van Der Zwaag) and Hanna (Cress) worked their tails off all weekend on the mound and we had some bigtime step ups at the plate, which was fun to see. This opening weekend was good for our team to learn who we truly are and what our strengths and weaknesses are. I'm proud of the players for competing, learning and now we will go build on both areas so we can be better the next time out," she added.

Tourney Stat Breakdown -- The Cougars finished the tournament at 3-3 but can ever close to a 4-2 finish. Through six games, USF is hitting .245 with 18 runs and 38 hits and a .322 on-base percentage. Freshman Damaris Cuevas leads USF with a .583 average with seven hits in 12 at backs and has a team-best .616 on-base percentage plus .750 slugging mark. Leadoff hitter Kylan Straight finished with a .364 average with a team-best 10 total bases and .364 OBP. Senior Frankie Mickelsen averaged .350 with seven hits, nine total bases, .381 on-base percentage and .450 slugging mark. On the mound, junior right hander Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag, who has a team-best five RBI, was 1-1 with a 2.80 earned run average and 13 strikeouts in throwing 15 innings. Freshman Hanna Cress finished 2-1 with a 3.10 earned run average with a team-high 14 strikeouts in 20.1 innings. Also in 3-of-6 games, USF pitchers held opponents to one or zero runs.

USF 3 UCM 1
In game two of the day, Van Der Zwaag had two RBIs and threw a complete game eight-hitter in a 3-1 win over Central Missouri.

Van Der Zwaag allowed eight hits across seven innings with one earned run while walking just one hitter and striking out three batters. Paige Petefish of UCM took the look as she allowed six hits and three runs with six strikeouts.

USF scored three runs in the third inning which proved to be all they needed with stellar work in the circle by Van Der Zwaag and solid defense.

In the third inning Straight doubled to score freshman Kennedy Thomas, who had her first hit at USF with a double to lead off the inning. After Mickelson singled and Straight moved to third, Lexie Swift drew a walk to load the bases. Then, Van Der Zwaag hit a two-run single to plate Mickelson and Straight. UCM scored its only run in the fifth inning.

Washburn 7 USF 6
In the opener on Sunday, Swift had three hits and three RBI but a late rally by USF fell short in a 7-6 setback to host Washburn in a game that went back and forth like a swinging pendulum.

Swift, who had a pair of doubles among her three hits, led an 11-hit offensive attack. USF also had two hits by Cuevas and two hits from Mickelson. Straight had a hit and two runs scored. Senior shortstop Mika Rodriguez had an RBI and stolen base while freshman Shayla Running had a hit, run scored and RBI. Van Der Zwaag had a hit and two RBI.  

Freshman Hanna Cress (2-1) took the loss for USF as she allowed six earned runs with 11 hits over 5 1/3 innings. She struck out four. Freshman Shayla Shaver finished for USF and allowed just a hit across 2/3 of an inning.

Jaycee Ginter did not figure in the win after starting for the Ichabods. She allowed six hits with two earned and had eight strikeouts in five innings. Reagan Hamm earned the win as she moved to 4-2. However, Hamm allowed five hits and two earned runs in two innings. Ginter had two hits and three RBI and that included a two-run HR in the sixth inning. Bri Francis also had two hits for Washburn.
In the second inning, Ginter singled to score Francis as Washburn took a 1-0 lead over USF. 

In the third inning, Straight reached on an error after Cassie Van Beek was hit by a pitch. After Mickelson moved the runners to second and third, Van Der Zwaag responded with a two-out two-run single to give USF the 2-1 lead.

WU tied the game with an unearned run in the home half of the fourth inning. However, USF took the lead back when Van Der Zwaag reached on a walk and then Rachel Klassen pinch ran and scored on Swift's two-out double. After WU scored a run in the fifth inning to tie the game, the Itchabods had a four-run sixth inning which included Ginter's two-run shot.

In its final at bat, the Cougars did not go quietly and scored three runs on four hits and had the tying and go-ahead runs on base in the seventh inning.