BROOKINGS, S.D. – Top-seeded Omaha captured its third consecutive Summit League Softball Championship title with a 4-2 victory over South Dakota in the winner-take-all game nine on Saturday afternoon at Jerald T. Moriarty Softball Field.
 
The Mavericks bounced back after falling earlier in the day to the Coyotes, using a three-run second inning and strong pitching to clinch the league’s automatic NCAA Tournament berth.
 
Game One
South Dakota forced a winner-take-all game nine in the Summit League Softball Championship with a dominant 9-1 run-rule win over top-seeded Omaha on Saturday afternoon at Jerald T. Moriarty Softball Field.
 
The Coyotes scored in every inning but the third and put up multiple runs in three different frames to back a five-inning, complete-game effort from ace Clara Edwards. With the win, South Dakota keeps its championship hopes alive and hands Omaha its first loss of the tournament in the double-elimination format.
 
South Dakota jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. After Ella McGee tripled to lead off the frame, Tatum Villotta reached on a throwing error, and Delaney White followed with an RBI single to make it 1-0. With two outs and two runners on, Abi Brown crushed a three-run homer to center field to break the game open early.
 
Omaha responded with its only run in the top of the second as Haley Wilwerding launched a solo home run to left to cut the deficit to 4-1.
 
The Coyotes immediately answered in the bottom half of the inning. Autumn Iversen led off with a double and later came around to score on Villotta’s RBI single, pushing the lead to 5-1.
 
South Dakota then added three more runs in the fourth, starting with a solo home run from Brooke Carey. Later in the inning, RBI singles from White and Madison Evans extended the margin to 8-1.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Brown singled to center and was replaced by pinch runner Sara Iburg. She would later score on an RBI single from Iversen to walk it off and end the game via run rule.
 
Edwards allowed just five hits and one earned run in five innings while striking out three and walking none. Omaha’s Maddia Groff took the loss, surrendering six runs—three earned—on seven hits through three innings.
 
Game One Pitcher of Record
Win – Clara Edwards (15-12): 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
Loss – Maddia Groff (25-5): 3.0 IP, 7 H, 6 R (3 ER), 0 BB, 0 SO
 
Game One Notables

• South Dakota scored in four of five innings and tallied 12 total hits.
• Brown hit a three-run home run and reached base twice.
• McGee went 3-for-3 with a triple and two runs scored.
• Carey (1) and Iversen (3) each finished with RBIs in their stat lines.
• With the win, South Dakota hands Omaha its first loss of the tournament, forcing a winner-take-all final due to the double-elimination format.

Game Two
After both teams were held scoreless in the first, Omaha struck in the bottom of the second. Haley Wilwerding opened the inning with a double and Sammy Schmidt laid down a bunt single to move Wilwerding to third. After a groundout and a walk loaded the bases, Rylinn Groff delivered a two-run single through the right side to give the Mavericks a 2-0 lead.
 
Sydney Thomason added a sacrifice fly to plate Maggie O’Brien and extend the lead to 3-0.
 
The Mavericks tacked on an insurance run in the sixth when O’Brien doubled to right center to score Schmidt from second, making it 4-0.

Groff bounced back from her struggles in the circle from game one to limit the Coyotes to just five hits through the opening six innings, but South Dakota made things interesting in the top of the seventh. Brooke Carey led off the inning with a double down the right field line and was replaced by pinch runner Isabel Carda. With one out, Sara Iburg launched a two-run home run to left center to trim the deficit in half to 4-2.
 
Groff settled back down, retiring the next two batters to finish off the complete-game win and secure the Mavericks' third consecutive championship crown.
 
Clara Edwards took the loss for South Dakota, allowing three runs on eight hits over four innings. McKenna Young pitched the final two frames in relief.
 
Game Two Pitcher of Record
Win – Maddia Groff (26-5): 7.0 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
Loss – Clara Edwards (14-9): 4.0 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO
 
Game Two Notables

• Omaha wins its third straight Summit League Championship title and advances to the NCAA Tournament.
• Rylinn Groff led the Mavericks with two RBIs in the decisive second inning.
• Iburg hit her first home run of the tournament in the seventh to keep South Dakota in it.
• South Dakota’s Rylie Jones went 3-for-3 at the plate.
• Maddia Groff pitched her second complete game of the tournament, finishing with 98 pitches during this game.

All-Tournament Team
Bella Dean, North Dakota State
Lauren Parker, Kansas City
Camryn Lasota, North Dakota
Jackie Albrecht, North Dakota
Tayler Baker, South Dakota State
Mia Jarecki, South Dakota State
Brooke Dumont, South Dakota State
Clara Edwards, South Dakota
Abi Brown, South Dakota
Rylie Jones, South Dakota
Madison Evans, South Dakota
Katherine Johnson, Omaha – MVP
Sydney Thomason, Omaha
Rylinn Groff, Omaha
Maggie O’Brien, Omaha
Maddia Groff, Omaha

Up Next
With the 4-2 win, Omaha earns the Summit League’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Mavericks will find out their regional destination during the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN2.