BROOKINGS, S.D.—South Dakota rallied for three runs in the fifth and held on late to defeat Kansas City in the first game of the Summit League Tournament Thursday on the campus of South Dakota State.
The fourth-seeded Coyotes (28-23) advance to the four-team, double-elimination portion of the event. They will face top-seeded South Dakota State at 5 p.m. Thursday weather permitting.
South Dakota shortstop
Lauren Eamiguel had an RBI double in the fourth, gave the Coyotes the lead with a ball in play in the fifth, and made a few web gems defensively to lead South Dakota to its first win against Kansas City in four tries. The fifth-seeded Roos (13-34) swept a three-game series at home against South Dakota Saturday to conclude the regular season.
Courtney Wilson had two hits including an RBI double in the fifth that cut Kansas City's lead to 3-2. She also threw out a runner at third base to end the second inning for her 19
th career outfield assist.
Gabby Moser doubled, pushing Wilson to third and she scored the tying run on an RBI single by
Aleesia Sainz one batter later. Eamiguel's ground ball with two outs was mishandled by Kansas City's first baseman and that allowed Sainz to score the go-ahead run.
That proved enough for South Dakota starter
Clara Edwards, who found herself in a 3-0 hole through two innings. Kansas City scored an unearned run in the first, but laced seven hits in its first 12 at bats. Fortunately for South Dakota, line drives led to inning-ending double plays in the first and third innings.
But Edwards settled in and didn't allow another hit until there were two outs in the final inning. The Roos loaded the bases in the seventh, but Edwards got Kansas City's number three hitter, Ally Vonfeldt, to foul out to
Jadyn DeWitte at first base for the final out.
Edwards (16-13) earned her 16
th win of the season, which is tied for the seventh-most in program history. Eamiguel is 8-for-22 (.364) with three RBIs in seven career Summit League Tournament starts. She reached a ball hit up the middle, spun and had DeWitte pick her throw at first to get the Roos' leadoff batter in the sixth. She also spun the line-drive double play in the third.
South Dakota is the last Summit League team to beat South Dakota State. It was a 5-3 win on April 2 to start a three-game series that saw the Jacks take the final two games. The Jackrabbits' only loss since was an extra-inning decision against Minnesota April 13. They've won all 11 games since.
