St. Cloud, MN – The University of Sioux Falls softball finished the final day at the Kelly Laas Memorial Tournament picking up their first win of the season and dropping their final game at the Husky Dome on Saturday night. The Cougars won their first game of the day vs Bemidji State, 5-1, and a loss to SCSU, 7-5.
Game One: USF 5, Bemidji State 1
Freshman
Bailee Lampman started for the Cougars, surrendering one run, on three hits, and one strikeout in the 5-1 victory over Bemidji State.
The game was tied 0-0 through two innings when in the 3
rd,
Kylan Straight stole 2
nd base, followed by a
Lexie Swift single to right, scoring
Kylan Straight for the first run of the game. In the 4
th inning and Cougars threatening,
Rylie Jones reached on a fielders choice on a throwing error, scoring
Damaris Cuevas to put USF up 2-0.
It was in the bottom of the 5
th when the Cougars broke the game open with a walk by
Jayden Haley with bases loaded, scoring
Kylie Madrid, followed by singles by
Hanna Cress and
Rylie Jones, scoring
Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag and
Damaris Cuevas to make it a 5-0 score. The Beavers tacked on their only run of the game in the 7
th inning, with a final score of 5-1 and the Cougars first victory on the season.
Rylie Jones was 2 for 4 with an RBI and picked up her first stolen base of the season.
Lexie Swift,
Jayden Haley, and
Hanna Cress picked up an RBI each for the Cougars in the 5-1 victory. From the circle,
Hanna Cress picked up the first win on the season for USF, finishing the game with 4 IP, 0 ER, 3 hits, and 4 K's.
Game Two: USF 5, SCSU 7
In an early season test against a familiar NSIC opponent, the Cougars fell to SCSU by a score of 7-5.
USF struck early in the top of the 1
st inning when
Jayden Haley reached on an error by the SCSU 2
nd basemen, scoring
Kylan Straight for the first run of the game. SCSU answered in the 2
nd with a sacrifice fly to tie the game back up at 1-1. It was in the 3
rd when SCSU's VandenLangen doubled to right center field, followed by a ground out by Winberger, scoring VandenLangen to make the game 4-1 SCSU.
USF came charging back in the top of 5 when
Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag battled at the plate and sent a 3 run blast to right center field to tie the game back up at four a piece. SCSU answered back in the bottom of the inning scoring two runs on a single up the middle and a bunt with bases loaded to take a 6-4 lead. It was later in the 6
th, we saw
Rylie Jones pick up a sacrifice fly, scoring
Reese Holzhueter to cut the score for USF in half, 6-5. SCSU came up with an insurance run, a home run to RF in the bottom of the 6
th from Pinkowski to put SCSU up and holding USF in the top of the 7
th for a final score of 7-5.
Reese Holzhueter was 2 for 3 on the day with a run scored, Kait Van Der Zwaag went 1-2 with a 3-run HR, HBP, and 3 RBI on the day. USF drew 5 walks and speedster
Kylan Straight came away with another SB on the day, her 2
nd on the season.
Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag pitched 4 innings, surrending 2 ER, 3 hits, and 3 K's.
Hanna Cress took the loss with 2 innings pitched on 2 ER, 4 hits, and 3 K's.
Up Next
The Cougars are off until February 25
th when they head to Topeka, KS for six games over three days for the Washburn Invitational where they'll face Pitt State, Central Missouri, Newman, Washburn, Fort Hays State, and Emporia State.
