ROCHESTER, MINN. – The University of Sioux Falls Softball Team battled to the end but a seventh-inning rally fell just short as the Cougars dropped a 7-6 decision to St. Cloud State in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Softball Tournament on Friday afternoon.
The setback left USF at 2-2 in the tournament with two one-run setbacks to No. 1 Augustana, 2-1, and 7-6 to No. 6 seeded St. Cloud State. In both games, USF had the tying run on third base. The Cougars registered the most wins in an NSIC Tourney since the 2015 team, also seeded No. 9, won three games.
USF finished their season with 23 wins and had a winning conference record at 15-14.
The Cougars had advanced to the fourth round game of the tourney after edging Northern State, 3-2, earlier on Friday. Against SCSU, the Cougars opened up a 4-1 lead but SCSU had a five-run sixth inning to take a 7-4 lead. However, USF rallied with two runs in the top of the seventh inning before the rally ended.
In her hometown of Rochester, Minn., senior center fielder Frankie Mickelson homered twice in the NSIC Tourney. She had a two-run shot against SCSU which gave USF a 4-1 lead. Mickelson finished her career with 16 home runs for eighth on the USF career chart. She ranked in the top-10 in 12 statistical categories in USF’s DII era, including playing in 198 games, which ranks third all-time as does her 190 career starts. Mickelson finished with 154 career hits for third all-time and was sixth in RBI with 78. In addition, she has had at least one hit in 108 games with 33 multi-hit games, including three games with a career-best four hits.
Also against SCSU, USF had two hits and two RBI from Mika Rodriguez, who finished with a team-best seven hits in 14 at bats, four runs and five RBI in the NSIC Tourney. She had a .714 slugging mark. Shayla Running, who finished at. 455 for the tournament (5-of-11 with 3 RBI, .545 slugging, .571 OBP) had a hit, run scored and two RBI. She finished the season hitting .336, second only to Damaris Cuevas, who had a team-best .420 average in her first season at USF. Kylan Straight added two hits and two runs scored today while Kennedy Thomas had two hits.
Sophomore Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag started and threw 5 1/3 innings in which she allowed eight hits and three earned runs with four strikeouts. She threw 95 pitches and walked just one batter. Hanna Cress (10-13) took the loss for USF after allowing two hits but no earned runs in 2/3 of an inning. USF, which totaled 11 hits, was hurt by three errors.
USF opened the scoring in the first inning for a second straight game as Straight, who was hit by a pitch, scored on an RBI single by Rodriguez. In the fourth inning, Van Der Zwaag hit a one-out double and pinch runner Peyton Senger scored on a run-scoring double by Running. Then, Mickelson smashed her second home run of the season and the tournament for the 4-1 lead.
SCSU rallied back and cut the lead to 4-2 in the fourth inning. Then, the Huskies scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 7-4 lead.
In the seventh inning, Straight opened with a single to shortstop and senior Rachel Klassen had an infield single to put two runners on base. With one out, both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Rodriguez followed with a clutch run-scoring single to draw USF within, 7-5. With two out, Van Der Zwaag drew a walk to load the bases. USF cut the lead to 7-6 when Running also walked to force in Klassen.
In going 2-2, USF outhit opponents, .330-to-.275. The Cougars had a .462 slugging mark and .403 OBP with five stolen bases in five attempts. The Cougars scored 20 runs and allowed 13 and had a 35-to-28 margin in hits. Frankie Mickelson hit .300 and had two of USF’s three home runs while driving in five. She finished with a team-best 1.000 slugging mark. Rodriguez had a .500 average to lead USF as she was 7-of-14 at the plate with five RBI. Running hit. 455 and had a .571 OBP. Cassie Van Beek hit .357 with five hits while Kennedy Thomas had four hits. In the circle, USF had a 2.04 earned run average and recorded 20 strikeouts to five walks. Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag had two wins and now has three in her career in tourney games. She was 2-0 with a 2.69 earned run average in two starts and four appearances. She also had 11 strikeouts in 13 innings with just one walk. Hanna Cress was 0-2 but had a 1.27 earned run average in four appearances and two starts. She had nine strikeouts in 11 innings pitched.
