HAMMOND, La. — South Dakota softball dropped a pair of games at the Lion Classic Saturday afternoon to UTSA and host Southeastern Louisiana.
 
Game 1 vs UTSA – L, 2-3
The Roadrunners put one run on the board in the bottom of the first off Coyote starting pitcher Clara Edwards, but Edwards would settle in with four straight 1-2-3 innings.
 
After Alyssa Thorson led off the third with a walk, and Edwards reached base safely, the duo was moved into scoring positions after a groundout from Brooke Carey. Autumn Iversen came through for the Yotes with two outs with a single to center field, scoring both runners to give USD a 2-1 lead.
 
The Yotes threatened to extend their lead in the fifth, placing two runners on base but would end up stranded by the Roadrunners.
 
UTSA opened the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back singles and would retake the lead, 3-2, after a double to center field brought both runners home. USD would go down in order in the top of the seventh and UTSA secured the 3-2 win.
 
Iversen went 2-for-2 from the plate with a walk, while Rylie Jones and Tatum Villotta had the other two hits for the Yotes.
 
Edwards takes her first loss of the season after throwing all 6.0 innings. She struck out two and allowed five hits.  
 
Game 2 vs Southeastern Louisiana – L, 3-7
The Yotes started quick in their second game of the day against SLU with a pair of runs in the first inning off the bat of Iversen. With two outs in the frame, and runners on the corners, Iversen legged out a triple to drive in Villotta and Edwards.
 
USD tacked on another run in the second inning with another two-out triple, this time from Ella McGee who drove in McKenna Young from first.
 
South Dakota held SLU scoreless through four innings of play, but the Lions would plate a run in the fourth and three in the fifth to take their first lead of the game, 4-3.
 
SLU added three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth, and while McGee tallied her second hit of the game in the seventh, the Lions closed out the game holding the Yotes scoreless in the final frame.
 
McGee and Iversen accounted for both the Yotes extra base hits with triples. Young pitched 3.0 innings and started in the circle for the Yotes while Campbell German is tagged with the loss.
 
South Dakota will face Southeastern Louisiana again tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. to close out the Lion Classic.