BISMARCK, N.D. – Behind a historic day from Maddi Duncan and a balanced offensive attack, the University of Sioux Falls softball team secured a doubleheader sweep over the University of Mary at the UMary Softball Field, winning 3-0 in game one and 7-2 in game two.
Duncan headlined the day by setting a new program record for single-season strikeouts, surpassing Amanda Walters' 2014 mark of 215. With nine strikeouts in the opener, Duncan pushed her season total to 223, cementing her place in USF history.
Olivia Huckfelt powered the Cougars in game two with a breakout performance, belting two home runs and driving in four runs to lead the offensive surge.
Game One: Sioux Falls 3, Mary 0
Sioux Falls leaned on dominant pitching and timely hitting to open the day with a shutout victory.
Duncan was in complete control from the start, tossing a complete-game shutout while allowing just two hits and striking out nine. The senior worked around four walks and scattered baserunners throughout, keeping Mary off the scoreboard in all seven innings.
Offensively, the Cougars broke through in the fourth inning when Morgan Linstad launched a solo home run to left field for a 1-0 lead.
Sioux Falls added insurance in the sixth. A sacrifice fly from Hanna Raethz plated a run, followed by an RBI double from Olivia Huckfelt to extend the lead to 3-0.
The Cougars finished with eight hits, led by multi-hit efforts from Sammie Radish and Meghan Jochimsen.
Game Two: Sioux Falls 7, Mary 2
The Cougar offense came alive in game two, using a mix of power and late-inning production to complete the sweep.
After falling behind 1-0 early, Sioux Falls responded in the fourth inning when Huckfelt delivered a two-run home run to give USF its first lead of the game.
The Cougars added to the advantage in the fifth as Jochimsen drove in a run on a bunt single, capitalizing on a Mary error to make it 3-1.
Huckfelt struck again in the sixth with her second home run of the game, extending the lead to 4-1.
Mary answered with a solo home run in the bottom half, but Sioux Falls put the game away in the seventh inning. Emma Kristof sparked the rally with an RBI double before Kyra Knudtson and Huckfelt each drove in runs to push the lead to 7-2.
Huckfelt led the offense with a 3-for-4 performance, two home runs, and four RBIs.
In the circle, Ava Mejia delivered a complete-game effort, allowing just three hits and two runs while keeping Mary off balance throughout the afternoon.
Key Cougars
- Maddi Duncan: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 9 K — set USF single-season strikeout record (223)
- Olivia Huckfelt: 3-for-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI (Game Two)
- Morgan Linstad: HR, RBI (Game One)
- Sammie Radish: 2 hits, run scored (Game One)
- Meghan Jochimsen: Multi-hit game, run scored, RBI (Game Two)
- Ava Mejia: CG, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB (Game Two)
Up Next
Sioux Falls will head to Minot State to take one the Beavers tomorrow at 12pm and 2pm for their final regular season games.
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