MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Fourth-seeded South Dakota stunned top-seeded Omaha with a 1-0 victory in the winner’s bracket second round of the 2026 Summit League Softball Championship on Thursday morning. The Coyotes advanced behind a dominant complete-game shutout from Madison Evans and capitalized on Maverick miscues to secure their second win over Omaha this season.
After both teams stranded runners early, South Dakota threatened in the third when Evans doubled to center field, but Summit League Pitcher of the Year Maddia Groff escaped the inning with back-to-back strikeouts to keep the game scoreless. Groff finished with 12 strikeouts in the contest and didn't allow an earned run over seven innings.
Omaha’s best scoring opportunities came in the third and fourth innings as Bailey Sample doubled in the third to put runners on second and third with one out, but Evans induced a foul out and a strikeout to end the threat. In the fourth, Alyson Edwards doubled and Ava Rongisch reached on an error to place runners at second and third, but Evans stranded both runners with another strikeout and a fly out.
The Yotes finally broke through in the fifth inning when Sara Iburg reached on a throwing error by the Omaha third baseman and moved into scoring position before Evans delivered an RBI single that plated the game’s lone run. USD nearly added more in the sixth after Kiya Johnson doubled, but Omaha cut down Brylee Hempey at the plate to limit the damage.
Evans took care of the rest in the circle, retiring the Mavericks in order in the seventh inning to complete the shutout. The sophomore scattered three hits, struck out eight, and stranded six Omaha runners in the victory. It marked just the second time all season Omaha had been shut out, with the other coming in a 2-0 loss at Troy earlier this season in February.
Pitcher of Record
Win – Madison Evans (South Dakota): 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 K
Loss – Maddia Groff (Omaha): 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 12 K
Notables
- Evans tossed her first complete-game shutout of the season and also drove in the game’s only run.
- Kiya Johnson and Evans each recorded doubles for the Coyotes.
- Groff struck out 12 batters, marking her fifth game this season with double-digit strikeouts.
- South Dakota earned its first winner’s bracket second round victory since 2023.
- The Coyotes won their second game against Omaha this season.
Up Next
South Dakota advances to the winner’s bracket final and will face the winner of South Dakota State-St. Thomas on Friday at 1 p.m. CT. Omaha drops to the elimination bracket and will play later Thursday evening at 5 p.m. CT against the loser of SDSU-UST.
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