CLEARWATER, Fla.—South Dakota's softball team split a pair of games on the first day of the Under Armour Showcase hosted by University of South Florida, losing the opener to Northern Kentucky 7-0 and beating Central Michigan in game two 4-3.
 
Jordan Harbacek pitched a four-hit shutout to lead the Norse (6-12) in game one. She struck out five, walked one and allowed just one Coyote to reach second base. Offensively, Harbacek went 2-for-4 with a two-run single in the fourth inning that gave Northern Kentucky a 6-0 lead. Alina Maher had a two-run single for the Norse back in the first.
 
Sydney Hancock hit a two-run home run in game two for the Coyotes (3-21) and pitcher Madison Frain held off Central Michigan (8-11) in the seventh to get the win. Frain allowed two runs over the first six innings and reentered the game in the seventh with one on and one out to get the win. She allowed 12 hits and struck out three.
 
The Chippewas loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh when second baseman Rachel Vieira hit a shot to first base that bounced off of first baseman Yvon Minogue. The hit scored the runner from third to make it 4-3, but Allison Curtis got caught in a rundown trying to score the tying run from second on the play and was tagged out for the final out of the game.
 
Olivia Huffman, who was 3-for-5 in the two games, doubled and scored the go-ahead run in the fourth on a double by Emily Winckler. The Coyotes made it 4-2 in the top of the sixth when Christy Warnock's RBI double plated Jamie Holscher who singled in the prior at bat and advanced to second on a wild pitch.
 
South Dakota is scheduled to play Army at 8:15 a.m. and USF at 1 p.m. (CST) Saturday. The Coyotes will face Bowling Green at 8 a.m. Sunday before returning to campus.