INDIANAPOLIS—A scoreless game thru four, IUPUI took advantage of poor defense to salvage a 9-1, six-inning win against South Dakota in the final game of a three-game series Sunday at IUPUI Softball Complex. South Dakota took both games Saturday, securing the series with IUPUI for the fifth time in six chances as Summit League foes.
 
The Jaguars (17-26, 7-5 Summit) needed just six hits to score their runs thanks to five Coyote miscues defensively during the final two innings. South Dakota (17-26, 8-7) totaled seven errors and all runs allowed were unearned.
 
While that was happening, IUPUI pitcher Nickole Finch (10-10) held an offense that posted 26 runs Saturday to a single run on four hits Sunday. She struck out five and walked two.
 
Jaguar second baseman Mandy Dallas reached on an error and scored on an error for the first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth. Taylor Chitwood's RBI single and Maggie Armstrong's two-run double later in the frame made it 4-0.
 
South Dakota got one back in the fifth when Emily Winckler led off with a triple and scored on a ground ball by Shelby Keil. Winckler was 6-for-8 during the series with three walks and scored five runs.
 
Jaguar shortstop Delaney Thompson provided the walk-off hit in the sixth with a bases-loaded double to center that scored Chitwood and Roni Patterson with the winning runs. South Dakota had three errors in the final inning.
 
The Coyotes next face Creighton Thursday in Omaha before beginning a three-game series at home against Fort Wayne (9-32, 2-7). Just one win against Fort Wayne would secure the Coyotes their fifth consecutive appearance in the Summit League Tournament. South Dakota stands two games behind conference-leader Western Illinois in the standings. Both teams have three games remaining.