ATHENS, Georgia – South Dakota softball team suffered a pair of losses against Power 5 opponents in its season openers on Friday at the Red and Blake Showcase hosted by Georgia at Jack Turner Stadium.
 
The Coyotes were defeated by Purdue 8-2 and by sixth-ranked Georgia 4-0 to open the season. All 12 runs they allowed on opening day came with two outs.
 
PURDUE 8, SOUTH DAKOTA 2
Purdue used a six-run bottom of the third inning to secure the victory and had 10 hits off three different South Dakota pitchers.
 
The Coyotes broke the shutout with an RBI double from junior Rylie Jones, her first hit in a South Dakota uniform, in the top of the fifth inning.
 
Abi Brown got her first collegiate hit – an RBI double – in the top of the seventh inning to plate the second run.
 
McKenna Young, a freshman, made her collegiate debut in relief of starter Kori Wedeking and allowed one earned run in 2.2 innings of relief.
 
South Dakota had six hits in the game as Gabby Moser, Clara Edwards, Delaney White and Tatum Villotta all singled to go with the doubles from Brown and Jones.
 
#6 GEORGIA 4, SOUTH DAKOTA 0
Lilli Backes pitched a four-hit shutout and Georgia plated all four runs with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning off Edwards.
 
Edwards battled Backes pitch-for-pitch through four innings before the Bulldogs, picked second in the SEC in the preseason poll, scored on a solo homer from All-American Sara Mosley. A three-run double from Sydney Chambley closed the scoring.
 
South Dakota (0-2) received hits from Alexis Lusk, Moser, White and Jones and for Lusk, it was her first collegiate hit.
 
The Coyotes play two more games on Saturday against Murray State at 10:30 a.m. (ET), 9:30 a.m. (CT) and a rematch against Purdue at 6 p.m. (ET), 5 p.m. (CT).