SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Concordia-St. Paul softball team (13-28, 5-15 NSIC) was swept on their trip to Sioux Falls (25-20, 12-8) Tuesday afternoon. The Cougars took game one 8-0 and then won game two 3-2 on a walk off.
GAME 1: Sioux Falls 8, Concordia-St. Paul 0 (5 innings)
It was a tough start to series for Concordia as the pitching of USF's Kerrigan Hoshaw was on point all game. Hoshaw (10-8) pitched a perfect game for the Cougars pitching all five innings, throwing 55 pitches and striking out four.
Sioux Falls loaded the bases early in the first inning, but were only able to bring home one run thanks to a Kenna Heath RBI single down the right side.
The Cougars added three more runs in the second off a RBI single up the middle by Sydney Nieveen scoring Emily Hove from second. Two batters later Hoshaw would impress at the plate with a two RBI double down the left field line to give USF a 4-0 lead.
After a scoreless third inning, Sioux Falls would tally four runs in the fourth inning. Nieveen would single with one out scoring Britni Broussard from second. Breanna Black would score from first on a fielding error and Nieveen would advance to third making it a 6-0 advantage.
Jasmine Ragusi would then single to right field, scoring Nieveen from third. Miranda White would come in to pinch run and after stealing second and sacrifice fly to move her to third, White would make it 8-0 scoring on a wild pitch.
Linzy Heim (8-12) took the tough loss for Concordia allowing 10 hits, eight runs (four earned) while striking out two in four innings pitched.
Black, Nieveen, and Hoshaw led USF with two hits apiece. Nieveen and Hoshaw both finished with a pair of RBI in the game one win.
GAME 2: Sioux Falls 3, Concordia-St. Paul 2
After going hitless in game one, Concordia would gather a pair of hits in the first inning but strand runners on second and third keeping it a scoreless affair.
Sioux Falls would jump out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first after a sacrifice fly by Kerrigan Hoshaw, with one out, would score Sydney Nieveen from third to give USF the early advantage.
Innings two through five would go scoreless but both teams did put runners in scoring position throughout the scoreless frames but could not bring any runs home.
In the sixth,
Sarah Kivisto led off with a single and then
Justine Schattner would follow with a single of her own. Kivisto would advance to third on a fielding error by the Cougars putting runners on the corners with no outs.
The Golden Bears would tie the game in the following at bat when
Liz Jarosz hit a sacrifice fly to deep right field allowing Kivisto to score from third.
In the seventh, with score tied at one and runners on the corners again, Schattner would deliver with a single up the middle to score
Carlie Hart from third giving CSP a 2-1 lead with a half inning to play.
A Meyer would lead off the home half of the seventh with solo home run on the first pitch she saw, tying the game at two. Following the home run, three of the next four batters would record a single to load the bases with only one out.
Concordia would then get the potential game winning out at home but still kept the bases loaded. However, the following at bat Emily Hove would reach first on a fielding error by CSP allowing Jasmine Ragusi to score from third giving USF the game two 3-2 win.
Hoshaw (11-8) would earn her second win of the day after coming in to relief in the seventh inning. She allowed three hits, one run and struck out one.
Samantha Sullivan (5-12) took the loss after going the distance, allowing 11 hits, three runs (two earned) and striking out one.
Sarah Kivisto went a perfect 4-4 at the plate for the Golden Bears in game two. Schattner finished 2-4 at the plate and four other players finished with a hit in the loss. Four different players finished with a pair of hits for the Cougars. Hoshaw and Ashley Meyer each added a RBI in the win.
Concordia returns home on Saturday for a doubleheader with MSU Moorhead. First pitch for game one is set for 1 pm. Saturday's doubleheader will also serve as Senior Day.
