SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—South Dakota softball players Clara Edwards and Bela Goerke have been named the Summit League Pitcher and Player of the Week, respectively, following the opening week of play. Both made their Coyote debuts and led USD to a 4-1 record at a tournament this past weekend in Huntsville, Texas.
 
Edwards, a freshman from Clay Center, Kansas, pitched in all five games totaling 19 1/3 innings of work. She didn't allow an earned run in that span and just 12 hits including 10 singles. She tossed a four-hit shutout against Houston Baptist in her collegiate debut and closed with a five-hit shutout against 25^th-ranked Wichita State. She won two games, saved another and struck out 15.
 
At the plate, Edwards reached base nine times in 15 plate appearances for a .600 on-base percentage. She had an RBI single, drew six walks and was hit twice during tournament play.
 
Goerke, a sophomore from Tucson, Arizona, who played at Grand Canyon last year, homered in her first at bat of the season and three times in her first 13 plate appearances. All three home runs broke tie scores. She drove in 10 runs, the eighth-most nationally, on opening weekend, and defensively threw out two of five would-be base stealers.
 
South Dakota returns to the field Friday in Greenville, South Carolina, for a tournament hosted by Furman University.