MOORHEAD, Minn. – The University of Sioux Falls softball team secured its first NSIC series sweep of the season today, grinding out a pair of tightly contested wins over MSU Moorhead, 3-2 and 3-2, at Nemzek Stadium.
The Cougars (15-14, 3-1 NSIC) leaned on timely hitting and strong pitching performances in both games, overcoming early deficits and holding off late pushes from the Dragons to complete the doubleheader sweep.
Game One: Sioux Falls 3, MSU Moorhead 2
After falling behind 2-0 in the second inning due to a pair of unearned runs, Sioux Falls responded with a decisive swing in the fourth inning to take control.
The Cougars capitalized on momentum early in the frame, beginning with a Sandra Ribich RBI double to cut the deficit in half. With runners in scoring position, Andie Suhai delivered the biggest hit of the game, lining a two-run single down the right field line to give USF a 3-2 lead.
From there, Maddi Duncan settled in and took command in the circle. After working around traffic in the early innings, Duncan held the Dragons scoreless over the final five frames, stranding multiple baserunners and keeping Moorhead from regaining momentum.
MSU Moorhead threatened in both the fifth and sixth innings, putting runners on base, but Duncan and the Cougar defense came through in key moments to preserve the lead. In the seventh, Duncan closed the door with a clean inning, securing her ninth win of the season and eigth game with 10+ strikeouts.
Suhai and Ribich led the scoring effort adding all three RBIs in the comeback inning while Hanna Raethz and Addison Heule each record two hits for the Cougars..
Game Two: Sioux Falls 3, MSU Moorhead 2
Game two followed a similar script, with Sioux Falls once again using a single inning to swing the game in its favor.
After three scoreless innings, the Cougars broke through in the fourth. Hanna Raethz sparked the rally with a leadoff single before Ribich added another base hit to put runners in scoring position. Kyra Knudtson delivered in the clutch, driving a two-run single up the middle to give USF the lead.
Later in the inning, Charlie Pryor reached on a fielding error that allowed an additional run to score, pushing the advantage to 3-0.
MSU Moorhead answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth and continued to apply pressure throughout the game, collecting seven hits and putting runners on in multiple innings. However, Lauryn Foudree remained composed in the circle, working out of jams and limiting the damage with five strikeouts and just three walks across all seven innings.
The Dragons mounted one final push in the seventh, scoring a run and bringing the tying run to the plate, but Sioux Falls held firm defensively to secure the sweep.
Knudtson led the Cougars offensively in game two with a two-RBI performance, while Ribich and Raethz each added key hits in the decisive fourth inning.
Up Next
Sioux Falls returns home to open a 10-game homestand as they host Minnesota Duluth and Bemidji State next weekend. The Cougars will host the Bulldogs on Saturday, March 28th at 1pm & 3pm followed by Bemidji State on Sunday at 12pm & 2pm.
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