JOPLIN, Mo. - The Northeastern State softball team went 1-1 on the first day of the 2016 Teri Mathis Zenner Memorial Saturday at the Joplin Athletic Complex.

The RiverHawks (11-6) opened the event with a decisive 2-0 victory over McKendree (5-9) before losing to Sioux Falls (5-1) in five innings.

NSU had a rough day at the plate, as the green and white totaled seven hits across the 12.0 innings. Senior Megan Ewton was the only member of the team with more than one hit, and she finished 2-for-5 combined in the two contests.

Northeastern State will wrap up the Joplin tournament Feb. 28, beginning with a 10 a.m. game against Drury. The RiverHawks will then face Rockhurst in a rematch from earlier this season that saw the green and white win 4-3 on a walkoff grand slam by true freshman Kelsey Harmon.

NORTHEASTERN STATE 2, MCKENDREE 0
Senior Kayce Wooldridge (7-2) pitched a gem to earn her MIAA-leading third shutout of the season. She threw her ninth complete game and took a one-hitter into the seventh inning. She conceded just three hits overall and did not issue a walk, while tying her career high with eight strikeouts. Wooldridge has fanned eight batters in a game five times in her career, and she already has six games with at least seven K's this season.

NSU bookended a pair of solo home runs in the first and last frames to secure the victory over the Bearcats. Sophomore Jessica Boone blasted a leadoff homer, and junior Ryan Martin added a solo shot in the seventh.

Hanna Branch finished 2-for-2 at the plate for McKendree, but the rest of the team went just 1-for-24.

Maci Ingram (2-3) was tagged with the loss in the circle after conceding two runs on four hits in 7.0 innings. She also struck out eight, but she issued a pair of walks.

SIOUX FALLS 10, NORTHEASTERN STATE 2 (5 innings)
The RiverHawks suffered just their second run-rule loss of the season, as the Cougars used the long ball to take down NSU.

Sioux Falls blasted four round-trippers in the contest and belted 16 hits to secure the triumph.

Brooke Stetzler and Betsy Thomas were both 3-for-4 for USF. Thomas drove in three runs and score twice, while Stetzler scored three runs. Danielle Walker, Kerrigan Hoshaw and Megan Peterson all finished with two hits, and the trio combined for three RBI and four runs scored. Thomas, Hoshaw, Walker and Emily Hove all hit home runs.

Hoshaw (3-0) went the distance in the circle to earn the win. She allowed two runs on three hits in 5.0 innings, while striking out six and walking two.

The three Northeastern State hits were scattered between junior Madison Boyd, Harmon and Ewton.

True freshman Taryn Gray (3-2) took the loss after allowing six runs on 10 hits in 3.0 innings. Senior Delaney Gray and junior Jennifer Wolf both tossed an inning of relief and both gave up two runs.

-GoRiverHawksGo.com-