HAMMOND, La.—South Dakota's Sarah Lisko delivered the pitching performance the Coyotes desperately needed, shrugging off some miscues behind her early and shutting down Southeastern Louisiana 9-3 Saturday as play continued at the Lion Classic.
 
It was the fourth meeting between the two teams in the last three days and the first win of the series for South Dakota (1-4). Lisko went the distance, limiting the Lady Lions to seven hits and no earned runs while punching out two. It was the first start of the season for the senior lefthander.
 
The Coyotes scored twice in the fourth and fifth innings to erase a 3-0 deficit, then broke it open with five runs in the sixth. Jordyn Pender got USD on the board with an RBI single in the fourth. An RBI groundout by Lauren Eamiguel plated Camille Fowler with the go-ahead run in the fifth. Makayla Tsagalis singled and scored to start the sixth as part of a two-hit effort.
 
That proved plenty for Lisko (1-1). After three runs crossed following a pair of errors in the first, Lisko retired eight of the next nine she face to keep USD within striking distance. She left a runner on third in the fourth and fifth innings and got out of another two-on, two-out jam in the sixth. Her second strikeout was the final out of the game.
 
USD's first game of the day was unfortunately a continuation of troubles in the circle from Friday. Free passes – seven of them – handed Nicholls a four-run lead before they needed to swing the bat. In the end, it was a nine-run first inning en route to a 17-1 Nicholls victory. The Colonels had just seven base hits, but took 16 free runners in just four innings at the plate.
 
South Dakota will get an 11 a.m. rematch with Nicholls Sunday before returning to campus.