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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State softball team has made the trip north for four games to start the week. The RiverHawks (8-4) will first meet Northern State University (1-1) in a doubleheader beginning at 9 a.m. March 2. The green and white will then face the University of Sioux Falls (4-0) in a doubleheader beginning at 8 a.m. March 3. All four games will be played inside the Irish Sports Dome in Rosemount, Minnesota. Both the Wolves and Cougars are members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

The four games have been added to NSU's original schedule after the Teri Mathis-Zenner Memorial Tournament in Joplin, Missouri, was canceled due to weather this past weekend.

Northeastern State is currently on an eight-game win streak after starting the year 0-4. True freshman Jessica Boone leads a group of five RiverHawks batting better than .400 this season. She is currently 18-for-40 (.450) with seven doubles, six RBI and 12 runs scored. Sophomore Madison Boyd is averaging .447 (17-for-38) with 14 runs scored and 11 RBI, while senior Alli Eales is hitting .444 (16-for-36) with 12 RBI and 10 runs scored. Redshirt freshman Paige Gann (.432, 16-for-37) leads the team in both home runs (5) and RBI (18). Junior Kayce Wooldridge is 4-1 in the circle this year with a 3.35 ERA and four complete games. She has posted 30 strikeouts in 39.2 IP.

SCOUTING THE WOLVES
Northern State University is located in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The Wolves are 1-1 this season after splitting a season-opening doubleheader with the University of Minnesota-Duluth. NSU was picked to finish 13th (out of 16) in the preseason NSIC coaches' poll. The team finished 2014 with a 16-28 overall record. Northern State returned almost its entire squad from last season, including each of its top five hitters. Kelsey Gale led the team last year with a .328 batting average (44-for-134), while Eryn Yancy (.323, 42-for-130) and Macey Engel (.313, 30-for-128) also hit better than .300. Rachel Albright (.286, 34-for-119) is the returning power hitter. She led the Wolves in both home runs (9) and RBI (27) last year. Kami Smesmo (3.48 ERA, 10-15 record) is the top returner in the circle. She started 26 games last season and finished with 17 complete games in 150.2 innings pitched. Missy Elkins (4.74 ERA, 6-9 record) started 16 games and finished with nine complete games in 102 IP.
 
SCOUTING THE COUGARS
The University of Sioux Falls is located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Cougars sport an unblemished 4-0 mark this year after sweeping doubleheaders over both Dakota Wesleyan and Jamestown College. They finished fifth in the NSIC a year ago with a 30-17 overall record and an 18-11 mark in the conference. They were also selected to finish sixth this year in the preseason NSIC coaches' poll. USF returns two players that hit higher than .300 a season ago. Erin Scott led the squad with a .400 batting average (62-for-155), while Shannon Daly registered a .302 average (48-for-159) a year ago. Returner Betsy Thomas (.287, 39-for-136) led the team in both home runs (11) and RBI (35) last year. Sioux Falls sports an entirely new pitching staff this year headlined by junior college transfer Alyson Netty. She is 2-0 on the year with a 1.93 ERA and two complete games in 14.0 IP. She was the first honoree of the NSIC Pitcher of the Week award this season.