SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The University of Sioux Falls softball team made program history this afternoon, sweeping in-town rival Augustana for the first time ever with a 9-8 comeback win in game one followed by a 6-4 victory in game two at Sanford Diamonds.
The Cougars (24-23, 12-10 NSIC) showcased resilience and timely hitting throughout the doubleheader, rallying late in the opener before controlling the second game behind balanced offense and strong pitching. Sioux Falls erased a three-run deficit in the seventh inning of game one and followed with another multi-inning surge in game two to secure the historic sweep over the Vikings.
Game One: Sioux Falls 9, Augustana 8
Sioux Falls struck first behind Emma Kristof, who launched a two-run home run in the first inning before adding another two-run shot in the third to give the Cougars an early 4-0 advantage.
The Cougars extended the lead to 5-0 in the fourth on an RBI single from Sandra Ribich, but Augustana responded in a big way in the sixth inning, plating seven runs on a combination of timely hits and two home runs to take an 8-5 lead.
Facing their final three outs, Sioux Falls delivered a dramatic rally in the bottom of the seventh. Sammie Radish opened the scoring with an RBI single before Charlie Pryor brought in another run with a sacrifice groundout. With two runners in scoring position, Morgan Linstad delivered the decisive blow, driving in two runs with a single to right center to complete the comeback and seal the 9-8 victory.
Lauryn Foudree earned the win in relief, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings to close out the game.
Game Two: Sioux Falls 6, Augustana 4
The Cougars once again found early offense, scoring three runs in the second inning highlighted by a bases-clearing double from Kyra Knudtson to take a 3-0 lead.
Augustana responded with solo home runs in the fourth to cut the deficit to 3-2, but Sioux Falls answered immediately in the fifth. Knudtson added a solo home run before RBI contributions from Linstad and Andie Suhai pushed the lead to 6-2.
The Vikings mounted a late push in the seventh, scoring twice to trim the margin to 6-4, but Foudree came in on relief to secure the final three outs and earn her first save of the season.
Ava Mejia picked up the win in the circle, going 6.0 innings while allowing four runs on five hits.
Key Cougars
- Emma Kristof – 3-for-7, 2 HR, 3 runs4 RBI; sparked game one with two early home runs
- Kyra Knudtson – 3-for-7, HR, 2 RBI; delivered clutch extra-base hits in both games
- Morgan Linstad – 2 hits, 3 RBI; game-winning two-RBI single in game one
- Sandra Ribich – 3-for-5, 1 run; key presence in the middle of the lineup
- Lauryn Foudree – Win and Save on the day; 2.1 scoreless innings in relief
- Ava Mejia – 6.0 innings, earned the game two win
Key Team Stats
Clutch Hitting – Sioux Falls scored 7 combined runs in the 5th inning or later across the two games.
Power Surge – The Cougars tallied three home runs in the doubleheader, including two from Kristof.
Resilience – USF overcame a three-run deficit in the seventh inning of game one to complete the walk-off victory.
Up Next
Sioux Falls will host Northern State and Jamestown next weekend to close our their regular season home schedule. The Northern State series is slated for Saturday, April 25 at 1pm and 3pm followed by Jamestown on Sunday at 12pm and 2pm for Senior Day.
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