VERMILLION, S.D.—South Dakota freshman pitcher Clara Edwards turned in her most dominant performance of the season and Rylee Nicholson drove in three runs in a 4-0 Coyote win against Creighton Tuesday at Nygaard Field.
 
Edwards faced one above the minimum and tied her season high of eight strikeouts in logging her fifth shutout of the season. A ground ball that bounced off first base and over Jadyn DeWitte at first and a solid single to left by Cayla Nielsen were her only blemishes. She didn't walk anyone and earned her 13^th win of the season.
 
She also got some help from her defense. Bela Goerke picked off Kiara Mills at first base after Mills had reached on the ground ball to first to start the second inning. Left fielder Rylee Nicholson caught a ball at the wall and center fielder Courtney Wilson track one in the gap to right center. Third baseman Aleesia Sainz dove for a ball to her left and threw out Mills at first for the final out of the game.
 
Sainz doubled and Tatum Villotta singled to ignite South Dakota in the bottom of the first and both scored on a double from Nicholson. That was enough to chase Creighton starter Alexis Wiggins who was relieved by Mikayla Santa Cruz to start inning two.
 
Nicholson plated Sainz with another double in the third and Gabby Moser followed with a two-bagger to the wall that made it 4-0.
 
South Dakota totaled seven hits in all. Santa Cruz gave up just the two runs in five innings of work. She struck out three and walked two.
 
The Coyotes (24-20) played their final home game of the season. They travel to Macomb, Illinois, this weekend for a three game series with the Western Illinois Leathernecks starting Saturday.