SAN DIEGO, Calif. – South Dakota received strong pitching performances from Clara Edwards and Kori Wedeking and came away with a pair of softball victories on Friday at the USD Softball Complex.
 
Back on the diamond in California for the first time since Tuesday the rested Coyotes came out and posted wins over 4-2 over Colgate and 2-1 over the host San Diego team.
 
South Dakota, now 11-13 on the season, received complete game pitching efforts from both Edwards, against Colgate, and Wedeking, against San Diego.
 
Edwards, a sophomore, allowed two earned runs on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts to move to 6-5 on the season.
 
South Dakota outhit Colgate 7-4, plating two runs in the fourth and single tallies in the fifth and sixth to take a 4-0 lead. Colgate plated two runs in the sixth before Edwards shut the door in the seventh to earn the win.
 
The Coyotes grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth as Gabby Moser's RBI double plated pinch-runner Brylee Hempey with the game's first run. Moser then raced home on a sacrifice fly from Jordyn Pender.
 
South Dakota received RBIs on fielders choice grounders off the bat of Aleesia Sainz in the fifth and Alecea Mendoza in the sixth.
 
Wedeking (4-7), a junior, posted one of her strongest outings in a Coyote uniform, scattering nine-hits and giving up just a single run in the win over San Diego.
 
San Diego pushed across its run in the bottom of the seventh and had runners on first and third when a line drive was snagged by South Dakota third baseman Sainz for the game's final out, preserving the victory.
 
Pender delivered an RBI double to give South Dakota a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning. Bella Goerke opened the inning with a double and her pinch runner, Alexia Terrazas, who moved up to third on a fly ball off the bat of Gabby Moser, scored.
 
The Coyotes plated the game's first run in the third inning with the speed and a heads up play from Alivia Conte. Conte singled with one out and after a San Diego error and a walk loaded the bases Conte tried to score on a wild pitch, as she turned and scrambled back to third base the Toreros pitcher threw to second base as in an attempt to pick off Charis Black, who had dashed for third on the wild pitch. Conte then, turned back and dashed for home on the throw to second base.
 
Tatum Villotta, who went 2-for-3 against Colgate, had a hit against San Diego while Pender also had hits in each game on Friday.
 
South Dakota closes its time in California on Saturday by playing Colgate at 11 a.m. (CT) and San Diego at 4 p.m. (CT).