SIOUX FALLS – Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag provided the power on the mound and at the plate as the University of Sioux Falls Softball Team (12-12, 6-4 NSIC) earned a split with No. 11 Winona State (17-6, 6-4 NSIC) with a 9-6 win in the second half of an NSIC Softball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Sherman Park Complex. Winona State took the opener, 6-0.

Van Der Zwaag (6-5) hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning and then shut down WSU on the mound in the seventh inning as the Cougars took the 9-6 win in game two and with it stayed in a tie for seventh place in the NSIC.

"I am so proud of so many of our players today but the resiliency of our pitching staff showed in the circle against a strong and aggressive Winona State lineup," said USF Head Softball Coach Shannon Pivovar. "Kait (Van Der Zwaag), Hanna (Cress) and Kennedy (Thomas) just flat out competed out there and gave us chances to make plays while sneaking some Ks in at really important times. Those three absolutely deserved to combine for a W in game two as we certainly needed all three," she said.

"The way we approached our at-bats was the difference between game one and game two. We were much more dialed in and focused on our plan and we attacked what we could drive. Kait, Mika (Rodriguez), Cass (Van Beek), Kennedy (Thomas) – I can go on and on through the lineup of positives that we showed at the plate today. Softball with our family was fun today. And, we get to come out and do it again tomorrow," said Pivovar, whose team will host Upper Iowa at noon and 2 pm in an NSIC doubleheader on Sunday (April 11).

Game 1 – Winona State 6 USF 0
In the opener, Jordyn Kleman threw a one-hitter and struck out eight USF batters as she earned her 11^th win of the season.

Cassie Van Beek led the USF offense with the hit. Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag took the loss as she allowed 10 hits and five runs while walking two and striking out two WSU batters. Kennedy Thomas, who made her first career pitching appearance, also worked for USF as she allowed three hits and no earned runs in two innings with two strikeouts.

Winona State scored a single run in the second inning for a 1-0 lead and then had two runs in the fourth frame and one in the fifth inning before adding two in the sixth inning for a 6-0 advantage. They totaled 13 hits as Abbie Hlas had three hits, including a home run, and Ann Smolenski, Teaghen Amwoza, Sam Keller and Libby Neveau all had two hits.

Game 2 – USF 9 Winona State 6
With Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag hitting a tie-breaking three-run home run in the sixth inning off WSU ace Jordyn Kleman and then adding 1 2/3 innings of shutout relief, USF took a 9-6 come-from behind win over WSU as the Cougars earned their third win in the all-time series against WSU.

Van Der Zwaag had two hits with a season-best four RBI to lead the offense. The junior had her fifth multi-hit game and his hitting .275 on the season. She also had her sixth multi-RBI game and has a team-high 19 RBI after today's clutch performance. Junior outfielder Lexie Swift had two hits and a run scored while Damaris Cuevas had two hits, a stolen base, and two runs scored as she is now hitting .469 on the season. Mika Rodriguez hit her second home run of the season and 15^th in her career while Van Beek also homered for her third of her career. Senior outfielder Frankie Mickelson had two hits, a run scored and two RBI, which moves her into a tie for sixth all-time at USF with Danielle Walker (2015-16) with 70. She now has 139 career hits and four away from fifth all-time.

Van Der Zwaag, who figured in the decisions in both ends of the doubleheader for the second straight week, is now 6-5 on the season. She came in relief of Kennedy Thomas, who worked 1 1/3 innings of relief with two hits allowed and a run. Thomas had entered the game in the fifth inning after Hanna Cress worked four innings and allowed five runs and 11 hits with three strikeouts and two walks.

Kleman who came into the game in the sixth inning took her third loss of the year in 14 decisions as she allowed three hits and three runs with a strikeout. Rylee Stout had two hits, including a HR, and three RBI to lead the WSU offense.

USF opened the scored in the third inning when Van Beek hit her third career home run to center field with one out. After Cuevas and Shayla Running singled, Cuevas stole third and scored on a single by Mickelson for a 2-0 lead. However, WSU answered with four runs in the top of the third inning.

USF cut the lead in half in the third inning when Mika Rodriguez hit a home run to left field, which was No. 15 in her career and second with USF. In the fourth inning, USF took the lead on three runs with four hits. Cuevas started the inning with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifce by Running. She scored on Mickelson's RBI single. Kylan Straight reached on an error and advanced to second on the throw which allowed Mickelson to score. Swift hit a single which moved Straight to third. Then, Straight scored on an RBI base hit from Van Der Zwaag as USF led, 6-4.

In each of the next two innings, WSU scored a single tally to draw even.

In the home half of the sixth inning, Straight open the frame by singling through the left size and advanced to second on Swift's second hit of the game. Thomas sacrificed the runners into scoring positions and then Van Der Zwaag came up big with a three-run home run, which plated both Swift and Straight.