Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Winterhaven, FL – The University of Sioux Falls softball team brought their win streak to eight games with a run-rule victory over Salem University on Wednesday morning by a score of 10-2. The streak continued in the original slate of Wednesday games against Ferris State with USF coming away with a 7-2 victory. The nine game win streak stays alive as the Cougars head home as their final game against Lewis University ended in a rain out. USF softball finishes The Spring Games tournament with an impressive 7-0 record and brings the overall season record to 12 wins and 5 losses.
 
Game 1: USF 10, Salem 2
 
The Cougars continued to roll in the resumed game on Wednesday morning as it was halted after heavy rain on Tuesday. USF got off to another hot start bringing across six runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a commanding lead. They finished the game strong with great pitching and timely hitting to get the victory after six innings of play.
 
The bottom of the first inning started with back to back bunt singles by Lexie Swift and Kylan Straight to immediately put pressure on the Salem defense. The Cougars capitalized in the following at bat when red hot hitting senior, Kylie Madrid brought across the first run of the game on an RBI double to center field. Freshman Reese Holzhueter continues to swing the bat well as she added an RBI single of her own scoring Kylan Straight. Taryn Wagner doubled the score with an RBI single to left field, scoring both Kylie Madrid and Reese Holzhueter to bring the lead to 4-0. Kennedy Thomas was hit by pitch, followed by Rylie Jones taking a walk, and Lexie Swift hitting the ball in play causing an error by the defense bringing across runs five and six to take a 6-0 lead after one inning. The game was halted at this point due to heavy rain on Tuesday afternoon. It was resumed the following morning.
 
On Wednesday morning, it was Salem that got on the board with two runs of their own brining the score to 6-2 in the top of the 5^th inning. The Cougars answered back with a big inning of their own in the bottom of the 5^th inning. It started with a Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag walk, followed by an error during Reese Holzhueter's at bat and Megan Lawson followed it up with a walk of her own to load the bases. Taryn Wagner continues to swing the bat well as she drove in two runs on a line drive double to left field to bring the lead back to six, making it 8-2 for USF. The Cougars had back to back pinch hit walks from Danielle Klenke and Emma Spizzirri whose PH walk brought across Megan Lawson to make it 9-2. The game ended with a Kylie Madrid single to right field, bringing in the 10^th run of the game for a run-rule, 10-2 victory for the Cougars.
 
From the circle, Hanna Cress and Bailee Lampman continue to limit opposing hitters only surrendering 3 hits, allowing zero earned runs (two unearned) on the day, and helping the Cougars to their 8^th straight victory.
 
Game 2: USF 7, Ferris State 2
 
The Cougars continue their win streak, extending it to nine games in a 7-2 victory over Ferris State on Wednesday morning. The Cougars finish The Spring Games tournament undefeated after the final contest being rained out against Lewis University on Wednesday afternoon.
 
The first three innings of play for both sides remained scoreless, it was in the bottom of the 4^th when Ferris State took the lead on a triple from Orme & a passed ball where she scored to make it 2-0 for the Bulldogs. The Cougars quickly answered back in the top of the 5^th with a bases loaded walk by Emma Spizzirri to get USF their first run of the game. The next at bat, Damaris Cuevas hit a line drive, causing an error by the 2^nd basement to bring in two runs and taking the lead 3-2 for USF after five innings.
 
Senior Kylie Madrid continues to provide an offensive spark and gave the Cougars an insurance run in the top of the 6^th on a line drive to center field, scoring Kylan Straight to extend the lead 4-2 for USF. The Cougars struck again in the 6^th inning when senior Kylan Straight hit a two-run double, scoring Damaris Cuevas and Kennedy Thomas to make it a 6-2 ball game. Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag was hit by a pitch, scoring Lexie Swift to bring across the 7^th run of the game.
 
Hanna Cress continues to impress as she pitched a complete game, surrendering two runs, four hits, and striking out two in the ninth straight victory for USF Softball. The Cougars continue to play well on both sides of the diamond and have a game against Lewis University to round out the Florida tournament for the Cougars.
 
Up Next
The Cougars head back home from Florida with some time off before they are back in action on March 18^th to 20^th, heading down to St. Joseph, Missouri for the Fairfield Inn and Suites Classic where they will play five games over a three day stretch.