VERMILLION, S.D. — South Dakota softball earned a pair of conference wins Friday afternoon at Nygaard Field over Kansas City. The Yotes improve to 27-22 on the season and 7-10 in the Summit League with a 7-3 win in game one and an 8-0 run-rule win in game two.
 
Game 1 – W, 7-3
Through three innings of game one, the Coyotes and Roos bats were held in check by each team's respective pitchers as each team would tally two baserunners each through three. Kansas City broke the 0-0 tie in the top of the fourth with one run on a pair of hits.
 
The Coyote bats came alive in the bottom half of the fourth with five hits to score three runs. Clara Edwards notched the first hit of the inning with a single to center field and would move to second on a Madison Evans groundout. With two outs, Autumn Iversen started a string of four straight hits for USD with a single to left center that scored Edwards from second. Rylie Jones doubled to right field to bring home Iversen and would touch home plate two batters later on a Sara Iburg single down the left field line.
 
Edwards made quick work of the Roos in the fifth with a 1-2-3 frame. The Yotes added three more runs in the bottom of the inning, all with two outs, on a passed ball, a wild pitch and an Abi Brown single to right field.
 
KC threatened in both the sixth and seventh innings, but the Yotes held off the Roos comeback efforts. With a pair of runners on in the sixth and one out, a line drive was snagged by Delaney White at first who touched first to complete a solo double play and get out of the inning. The Roos loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, but Edwards dug in to record two straight outs via strikeout and fly out to right field.
 
Edwards improved to 13-11 on the season after her 14^th complete game. She allowed just two earned runs and struck out two, while going 2-for-3 from the plate with an RBI and one run. Evans and Brown also tallied two hits in the contest, while Jones had an extra base hit with a double.  
 
Game 2 – W, 8-0 (5 innings)
The Yotes built their lead up early in game two, scoring four runs in the first inning following a scoreless top half in the circle from McKenna Young. Ella McGee led off with an infield single and was moved over to second on a Tatum Villotta sac bunt. White found the gap in right center for a double in the next at-bat, bringing in McGee from second for the first run of the game. With two outs in the inning, a Brown single scored White, and Jones notched her second double of the doubleheader to score a pair of Yotes.
 
South Dakota tacked on three more runs in the third to go up 7-0 on an Iversen double, Carey single and a groundout from McGee that scored Iversen from third.
 
Young continued her solid afternoon in the circle by putting the Roos down in order in the third, fourth and fifth frames.
 
Iversen found herself in scoring position in the bottom of the fifth after finding the gap again in the outfield for her second double of the game. Carey singled to center field that brought in Iversen from second and secured the Yotes 8-0 run-rule win.
 
Young threw all 5.0 innings in the circle for the Yotes and allowed just one hit while striking out three to improve to 12-8 on the season.
 
McGee, Jones, Iversen and Carey all notched two hits for the Yotes, while Jones and Carey each had two RBIs.
 
The Coyotes return to Nygaard Field for the final time in the 2025 season tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. for the series finale with the Roos. South Dakota will honor its four seniors Tatum Villotta, Clara Edwards, Rylie Jones and Alyssa Thorson after the game.