BROOKINGS, S.D. – Second-seeded South Dakota State outlasted in-state rival and third-seeded South Dakota in a 13-inning battle, walking off with a 6-5 victory on Thursday afternoon in Game 4 of the Summit League Softball Championship at Jerald T. Moriarty Softball Field.
 
The Jackrabbits pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the 13th when Player of the Year Abby Gentry lined a single to center, scoring Mia Jarecki to end a marathon matchup between the two South Dakota programs. It was a gritty, back-and-forth affair that featured three lead changes, two ninth-inning rallies, and critical hits in high-pressure moments.
 
South Dakota State opened the scoring in the fourth inning when Akayla Barnard delivered a two-out RBI double to left center, plating Alli Boyle from first. The Coyotes responded in the top of the sixth with a three-run rally. Madison Evans led off with a single, and pinch runner Sara Iburg advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt.
 
After Ella McGee reached on an infield single, Tatum Villotta tied the game by reaching on a fielding error at first base that brought Iburg home. Delaney White followed with a clutch two-run double to right center, scoring McGee and Villotta to put the Coyotes in front, 3-1.
 
SDSU wasted no time in answering back. In the bottom half of the inning, Brooke Dumont crushed a solo home run to left field to trim the Jacks' deficit in half. After a string of singles and walks loaded the bases, Madi Conklin delivered an RBI infield hit, plating pinch runner Quinn Marnocha and knotting the game at 3-3.

Both teams would go scoreless in the seventh to force extra innings
 
After neither team could score in the eighth, the Coyotes moved back into the lead with two runs in their half of the ninth. A defensive miscue in right field allowed the go-ahead run to score before Rylie Jones crossed the plate on a wild pitch to make it a 5-3 contest. 

SDSU wouldn’t go quietly, however, as Dumont crushed her second home run of the day, a two-run shot in the bottom half of the frame to push the contest the 10th inning.
 
Both teams had opportunities over the next three frames before Gentry's walk-off heroics in the 13th. South Dakota stranded a runner in scoring position in the 10th, while SDSU put two runners on in the 11th but neither could push across a run until Gentry collected her fourth hit of the contest.

Her game-winning single came after back-to-back hits from Jarecki and Vike and a walk to Dumont, setting the stage for the decisive moment.
 
Clara Edwards tossed 8.1 strong innings for the Coyotes and Tayler Baker earned the win for SDSU after going 9.1 innings and allowing just two earned runs while striking out four. The Jackrabbit freshman started the game, working the first 5.1 innings before reentering the start the 10th inning.
 
Pitcher of Record
Win – Tayler Baker (10-5): 9.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 4 SO
Loss – Madison Evans (13-12): 0.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO
 
Notables

• Gentry went 4-for-7, including the walk-off single in the 13^th.
• Dumont homered twice and drove in five of SDSU’s six runs.
• Dumont's home runs were her team-leading 10th and 11th of the season and her first game with multiple home runs.
• White had two RBIs for South Dakota with a key sixth-inning double.
• White now has five RBIs for the tournament and four straight games with at least one.
• The two teams combined for 21 hits and 17 runners left on base in the 13-inning affair.
• For the second consecutive year, Game 4 of the Summit League Softball Championship went to extra innings. Last year’s contest saw Omaha edge Kansas City 1-0 in the longest game in tournament history (14 innings).

Up Next
With the win, South Dakota State advances to face top-seeded Omaha on Friday at 1 p.m. CT in the winner’s bracket. South Dakota moves into the elimination bracket and will play Thursday evening against No. 4 North Dakota.