CELINA, Texas—South Dakota's offense mustered one run on six hits during its first day competing at North Texas' Tracy Beard College Classic Friday held at Old Celina Park. The Coyotes dropped a 6-0 decision to 22^nd-ranked North Texas in game one and lost 6-1 to Sam Houston State in game two.
 
South Dakota (2-2) ran up against Preseason Conference USA Pitcher of the Year Ashley Peters in the opener. The southpaw for North Texas (5-0) allowed one hit and struck out five in five innings to improve to 3-0 on the young season. A single to right field by Coyote catcher Bela Goerke in the fifth was Peters' lone blemish.
 
South Dakota starter Clara Edwards kept pace with Peters through four innings, but the Mean Green broke through with three runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth. Rylee Nicholson, who competed for South Dakota last year, singled and scored in the fifth and hit a two-run homer in the sixth.
 
The Coyotes put runners in scoring position in each of their first six innings against Sam Houston State (3-3), but only broke through once. Courtney Wilson singled and scored on a Gabby Moser double in the third inning that cut the Bearkats' lead to 3-1. Wilson was 2-for-4 in game two with a double.
 
Sam Houston State center fielder Ellie Grill was 3-for-4 with a walk, scored twice and drove in a run. Right fielder Quinlan Brodie had a two-run single in the third inning and an RBI double in the sixth. It was the second season in a row that the Bearkats topped the Coyotes.
 
South Dakota faces McNeese State and 16^th-ranked Kentucky – both NCAA tournament teams a season ago – in consecutive games starting at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.