BROOKINGS, S.D. — The South Dakota softball team fell in the first game of the day in a marathon of a game 6-5 to South Dakota State in 13 innings. The Yotes bounced back in extras and kept their postseason alive with a 6-5 win over North Dakota in eight innings.
 
Game 1 vs South Dakota State – L, 6-5 (13 innings)
The Coyotes and Jackrabbits slugged it out in a 13-inning marathon with the Yotes taking a two-run lead in the sixth and ninth innings, but the Jacks responded with two runs of their won in the bottom half of each frame.
 
After three scoreless innings in the circle from Clara Edwards, the Jacks found the scoreboard first with a two-out RBI double in the bottom of the fourth.
 
The Yotes were held to one hit through five innings, before a three-hit, three-run sixth frame. With runners on the corners, Tatum Villotta put the ball in play and off a Jackrabbit error reached safely and brought home Sara Iburg from third. The Yotes grabbed the lead for the first time on a Delaney White double to right center that scored both runners to put USD up 3-1. It was White's fourth and fifth RBIs of the tournament so far.
 
SDSU led off the bottom half of the sixth with a solo homer to left field and would later tie the game on an infield single with the bases juiced. McKenna Young, who entered the pitcher's circle to start the inning, escaped the jam and allowed just the two runs with back-to-back outs.
 
After scoreless seventh and eighth innings, the Coyotes were the first to break the 3-3 tie in the top of the ninth. With two outs Rylie Jones singled to right field, and an error fielding the ball by the right fielder allowed Brylee Hempey to score from first and Jones to scamper to third. The error by the Jacks and aggressive base running by Jones would pay off as she would score on a SDSU wild pitch to extend the lead to two, 5-3.
 
The Jacks' Brooke Dumont, who hit the solo homer in the sixth, tied the ballgame back at 5-5 with a two-run shot over the left field fence.
 
The Yotes left two runners on base in the 10^th but would be held to just one hit over the final three innings. The Jacks threatened to end it in the 11^th with runners on the corners and two outs. Edwards, however, would force a ground out to extend the game to a 12^th inning.
 
With the bases loaded in the 13^th the Summit League's Player of the Year, Abby Gentry, came through for the Jacks with a single to center field to secure a 6-5 win.
 
Edwards made the start in the circle, and after reentering to close out the game, threw a total of 8.1 innings. She surrendered eight hits, two runs and struck out two. Young tossed a total of 4.0 innings with a pair of strikeouts and allowed four runs.
 
Game 2 vs North Dakota – W, 6-5 (8 innings)
After a 13-inning slugfest in the first game of the day, it took a comeback effort and extra innings in game two for the Yotes to come away with a 6-5 win over the Fighting Hawks.
 
The Hawks jumped ahead early with a pair of runs in the second and then added three more in the fourth to go up 5-0. While UND only tallied four hits on the game, they were patient at the plate to draw 10 walks on the Coyote pitching staff.
 
The Yotes got two runs back in the fourth off the bats of Jones and Iversen but would still trail by three runs going into the bottom of the seventh.
 
Ella McGee kicked off the inning with a triple and was swiftly brought home on a single from Villotta. Down to their last out with runners on the corner, the Coyotes rallied with back-to-back singles from Carey and Jones to tie the game at five and force extra innings.
 
The Yotes found themselves needing a big hit with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. Freshman Madison Evans came through in the clutch with a single to right field, and Abi Brown beat the throw home to score the game winning run and keep the Coyotes Summit League Tournament run alive.
 
Campbell German started in the circle for the Yotes, her first start in the postseason, and threw 3.2 innings with five strikeouts and five runs surrendered. Evans threw the final 4.1 scoreless innings while allowing one hit and struck out five. Evans also went 3-for-5 from the plate with one RBI and two runs.
 
McGee, Carey, Jones and Evans all tallied multiple hits while Jones had two RBIs.
 
South Dakota returns to action tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. to face the loser of the first game of the day between Omaha and South Dakota State.