VERMILLION, S.D.—South Dakota and Western Illinois split a pair of Summit League softball games Saturday at Nygaard Field. South Dakota took game one 7-3 while Western Illinois took the nightcap 3-2. South Dakota took two of three from the Leathernecks in the series.
South Dakota first baseman
Yvon Minogue led off game one with her sixth home run of the season and second in as many days. The Coyotes (9-26, 4-2 Summit) scored three runs in the first to take a 3-1 lead. A two-out, two run single by
Christy Warnock in the fourth made it 7-1. Warnock drove in three runs and scored twice in the opener.
Coyote starter
Madison Frain, who pitched a five-hit shutout in Friday's win, came back with six more strong innings Saturday. Frain (7-9) allowed nine hits while striking out three and walking two.
Megan Green pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning in relief.
Western Illinois (10-24, 3-3) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in game two and freshman pitcher Emily Ira held the lead from there. Ira struck out a career-high 12 to improve to 5-10 on the year. She struck out 21 in 13 innings pitched during the series.
Coyote third baseman
Sydney Hancock hit a solo home run off Ita in the bottom of the second to cut the lead to 3-1 and
Taylor Steinfeldt made it 3-2 with a base hit up the middle in the fourth. Hancock has five homers this season.
South Dakota had two on with no one out in the fifth when Minogue drove a shot to left field that bounced just in front of left fielder Rachel Beatty. Beatty smothered the ball on the short hop and recovered in time to get the force out at third base when the runners held to see if the ball would be caught. Ita got
Katie Cochran to foul out for the second out and induced a fly ball to center from
Jessica Rogers to escape the inning unscathed. Ita retired the side in the final two innings to prevent the top of South Dakota's order from coming around.
South Dakota hosts Creighton in a doubleheader Wednesday at 1 p.m. The home stand will continue Saturday when the Coyotes begin a three-game series with IUPUI.
