MANKATO, MINN. (USF) – The University of Sioux Falls Softball Team (21-22, 15-14 NSIC) battled the second place team in the NSIC but dropped a doubleheader to Minnesota State (34-7, 23-5 NSIC), 6-3, 1-0 on Sunday to conclude the regular season.
USF finished the season at 15-14 in league play and was 21-22 overall. USF lost 6-3, and 1-0 to Minnesota State. The games today were the final regular season for six seniors – Frankie Mickelson, Cassie Van Beek, Emily Cheloha, Rachel Klassen, Mika Rodriguez and Emmie Uitts.
USF, which finished ninth in the league, will be the ninth seed in the league tournament and face No. 8 seed Minot State on Thursday (May 13) in Rochester, Minn.
“Moral victories aren’t the most useful things at this point in the season. We had opportunities to take one from a really good Minnesota State team and we didn’t make the adjustments we needed to,” said USF Head Coach Shannon Pivovar. “In game two, Hanna (Cress) pitched very well in game two and our defense continued to work throughout the doubleheader to give us a chance,” she said.
Game 1 – Minnesota State 6 Sioux Falls 3
Despite Cassie Van Beek’s home run and two hits by Shayla Running, USF dropped a 6-3 decision to MSU n the opener.
Kennedy Thomas (0-1) took the loss for the Cougars as she allowed four hits and three runs in 1 2/3 innings in relief of Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag, who started her 20th game of the season. Van Der Zwaag allowed three runs on five hits across 4 1/3 innings while striking out one and walking three in throwing 72 pitches. Mackenzie Ward (19-3) earned the win with a complete game when she walked six and had 11 strikeouts.
Running had two hits, including a double. Van Beek hit her fifth home run of the season and seventh of her career while scoring twice and knocking in a pair of runs.
After MSU scored twice in the second inning, USF answered in the fourth inning to tie the game. For the fifth time this season and seventh time in her career, Van Beek hit a home run. With the two-run shot, she tied the game at 2-2. MSU regained the lead in the fifth inning when Sydney Nielson tripled and scored one out later on a wild pitch. After Van Beek walked to open the sixth inning, Running supplied a single and with an MSU error, Van Beek scored. In the bottom of the sixth inning, MSU grabbed the lead for good as Sydney Nielsen hit a sacrifice fly and Torey Richards supplied a two-run double.
Game 1 – Minnesota State 1 Sioux Falls 0
Despite a solid game in the circle from Hanna Cress, USF dropped a 1-0 decision to Minnesota State in game two.
Cress (10-11), who was making her 20th start, had a standout effort in game two as she allowed just a run on eight hits in throwing 93 pitches across six innings. Cress had her team-leading 12th complete game, did not walk a hitter and had three strikeouts. Cress lost a pitcher’s duel to McKayla Armbruster, who allowed three hits with four strikeouts in throwing 80 pitches in seven innings.
Cress did not allow a run until MSU scored a run in the bottom of the sixth inning on an RBI by Hannah Hastings, who had two hits for the Mavericks.
USF had hits from Rachel Klassen, Cassie Van Beek and Frankie Mickelson.
(Dan Genzler, USF Sports Information, contributed this report.)
