COMMERCE, Texas — The South Dakota softball team (6-5, 0-0 Summit League) opened up the second installment of the Lion Classic down in Commerce, Texas on a cool Texas morning with a split against the SWAC's Prairie View A&M (6-5, 0-0 SWAC) Saturday with an 8-4 loss and a 4-1 win.
 
Game 1: Prairie View A&M 8, South Dakota 4
The Panthers of Prairie View A&M would get on the board first on the day with a run in both the first and second innings to take the early 2-0 lead through two innings.
 
South Dakota would respond in the third with all four of their runs in the first game of the weekend. A lead-off single from Autumn Iversen would get the inning going. Following a sac bunt, back-to-back walks would load the bases for the Yotes. The third-straight walk of the frame, worked by Tatum Villotta, would drive in the first USD lead to cut the lead in half (2-1).
 
A fielder's choice from Delaney White would drive in the tying run. Following yet another walk, Brooke Carey would single up the middle to drive in a pair of runs to give South Dakota the 4-2 advantage.
 
However, that would be it for the Coyotes as the Panthers would score six unanswered runs in the sixth inning to secure the first game, 8-4.
 
On the day, PVAMU would score their eight runs on 10 hits, while USD had their four runs on seven hits. Carey recorded a multi-hit day going 2-for-4 with her 2-RBI single in the third. Iversen also notched a pair of hits, going 2-for-2 with a walk and a run scored.
 
Clara Edwards went six innings in the circle and fell to 3-3 on the season for South Dakota.
 
Game 2: South Dakota 4, Prairie View A&M 1
Warming up into the low 40s for game two of the day, so, too, would the Coyote bats who put up four runs on seven hits, while holding the Panthers to just one run on four hits. The Yotes also posted their third game this season without an error as they picked up their sixth win of the season.
 
Sophomore McKenna Young was dominant in the circle for USD, allowing just four Panther hits and just one run in her complete-game victory. It marks her first complete game of the season as she improves to 3-0 in the circle, posting a career-high 14 strike outs.
 
In a game that only saw runs scored in two of the seven innings played, it would be South Dakota who would take advantage of a fifth inning rally to pick up the victory.
 
The two teams traded runs early in the game in the second inning, as a Panther error would allow the South Dakota run to plate in the top half of the second. In the bottom half, an infield single would knot the game up at 1-1.
 
The fifth inning proved to be the Coyotes executing small ball well, as the three runs scored in the frame and just one extra base hit recorded. Villotta would single to start the frame, followed by a walk from Iversen. A successful double steal would set up both runners into scoring position with no one out.
 
White, picking up her third RBI of the day, would single to right field to score the game-winning run with Villotta crossing the plate. Freshman Piper Ruhl would double to center, scoring insurance runs as South Dakota would go on to win, 4-1.
 
UP NEXT: The Lion Classic continues tomorrow, Sunday, February 23 with a doubleheader against the hosts in East Texas A&M. First pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m. and can be watched on ESPN+.