BROOKINGS, S.D. – The fourth-seeded South Dakota Coyotes advanced to the double-elimination round in the opening round game of the Summit League Softball Championship with a 6-5 10-inning victory over No. 5 North Dakota at Jackrabbit Softball Stadium.
The Coyotes, who won two out of three games against the Fighting Hawks on the road last month, picked up where they left off and scored the game’s first three runs in the first inning. After a double by Alicia Conte that sent Tatum Villotta to third, Viollotta would later score on a wild pitch. Delaney White would then single through the right side to score Conte, followed by an Alexia Terrazas double to bring home Clara Edwards for the third run of the game.
Edwards and the Coyotes escaped the top of the third inning as UND put runners on first and third with two outs, but the all-league hurler struck out Taya Hopfauf to strand a pair of runners.
North Dakota led off the top of the fourth inning with a walk and a single to bring up Mariah Peters with no outs. The senior outfielder would deliver by bringing home the Fighting Hawks’ first run of the contest via a double to left center. Brooklyn Morris came through to the tie game at 3-3 thanks to a single up the middle, scoring Peters and Katelyn Neumayer.
South Dakota would score two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning with the bases loaded and two outs. With Maddox Boston at the plate, she would reach first on a fielding error as Abi Brown and Gabby Moser would come home to make it 5-3 Coyotes.
The Coyotes would then make it a one-run contest in the top of the fifth inning as Neumayer brought home Hopfauf courtesy of a double to left center field.
North Dakota came through to tie the game, 5-5, thanks to a Cassie Castaneda fly ball to right field and after Olivia Dick was ruled out a home, it was determined that South Dakota’s catcher obstructed home plate, reversing the call.
After the eighth and ninth inning went scoreless, South Dakota put a runner on third with one out. Edwards would come through with a squeeze bunt to send home Conte and walk it off in the 10
th inning.
Pitcher of Record
Win – Kori Wedeking (9-8): 3.1 IP, 1 hits, 0 earned runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout
Loss - Jackie Albrecht (7-15): 9.1 IP, 11 hits, 4 earned runs, 5 walks, 3 strikeouts
Notable Notes
• South Dakota’s Alivia Conte notched a game-high three hits, going 3-for-5
• North Dakota’s Jackie Albrecht threw a complete-game throwing 159 pitches
• North Dakota’s Cassie Castaneda threw out her league-leading 19
th runner of the season
Up Next
With the 6-5 victory on Wednesday, South Dakota advances and will take on No. 1 South Dakota State tomorrow at 11 a.m. CT in the winner’s bracket.
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