PITTSBURG, Kan. – The University of Sioux Falls softball team went toe-to-toe with one of the nation's top programs this afternoon, falling in both games of a doubleheader to No. 16 Pittsburg State at the PSU Softball Complex. The Cougars dropped the opener 4–1 before the Gorillas pulled away late for a 9–0 victory in the nightcap.
Sioux Falls (12-11, 0-0 NSIC) showed strong flashes against the nationally ranked Gorillas (24-1, 0-0 MIAA), holding Pittsburg State scoreless across six innings in the first game after an early surge and keeping the second contest close through four innings before a big fifth inning from PSU created separation.
Game One: #16 Pittsburg State 4, Sioux Falls 1
Pittsburg State used a four-run first inning to secure the opening game before Sioux Falls settled in and battled throughout the remainder of the contest.
The Cougars threatened immediately in the top of the first when Meghan Jochimsen doubled to right center and Emma Kristof followed with a single to center, putting runners on the corners with no outs. Pittsburg State escaped the jam without allowing a run and quickly capitalized in the bottom half of the inning.
After an error and a single bunt put runners in scoring position, Lexi Davis delivered a two-run single through the right side to give the Gorillas an early lead. Sailor Hall followed with a two-run homer down the left field line to push the advantage to 4–0.
From that point forward, Maddi Duncan settled into a rhythm in the circle for Sioux Falls. The Cougar ace limited the high-powered PSU lineup the rest of the way, keeping Pittsburg State off the board across the next five innings while working through traffic and giving up just one hit the remainder of the game with 10 strikeouts.
Sioux Falls continued to generate opportunities offensively. Kyra Knudtson and Sammie Radish each recorded hits in the fourth inning to spark a threat, and Jochimsen added another base hit in the fifth to keep pressure on the Gorillas.
The Cougars finally broke through in the seventh when Charlie Pryor launched a solo home run to left field, cutting the deficit to 4–1. Pittsburg State recorded the final outs shortly after to secure the win.
Sioux Falls finished with six hits in the contest, led by a two-hit performance from Jochimsen.
Game Two: #16 Pittsburg State 9, Sioux Falls 0 (5 innings)
The nightcap began as a tight defensive battle before Pittsburg State pulled away with a six-run fifth inning.
The Gorillas opened the scoring in the bottom of the first after Heather Arnett singled and eventually came around to score on an RBI groundout from Kadyn Trochim.
Pittsburg State added another run in the third when Lexi Davis delivered an RBI single following a double from Trochim.
Despite the early deficit, Sioux Falls continued to threaten offensively. Brianna DeLorenzo recorded a triple in the third inning and Kyra Knudtson added a double in the fourth, while Hanna Raethz and Sandra Ribich each collected singles to keep the Cougars within striking distance.
The game remained close at 3–0 heading into the fifth inning before Pittsburg State broke it open. Kyleigh Lamont started the rally with a two-run homer to center field, and later in the inning Arnett delivered a grand slam to left field to cap a six-run frame for the Gorillas.
Sioux Falls recorded five hits in the game but was unable to convert the opportunities into runs leaving six runners stranded.
Coaches Corner
"Playing a top opponent in the country today gave us a lot to build on," said head coach Tommy Downs. "Outside of the first inning in game one, I thought we really competed and played strong softball. Maddi Duncan did a great job settling in and shutting them down after that early inning.
"The second game got away from us late, but we battled and continued to create opportunities. We just need to stay focused and keep making adjustments. We're hungry for more chances to compete against teams like that and continue getting better."
Up Next
The Cougars will wrap up the weekend series at No. 4 Missouri Southern State tomorrow at 1pm and 3pm to close out the MIAA/NSIC Challenge before opening conference play next weekend at Minnesota Crookston and MSU Moorhead.
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