MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — History was made at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota Saturday afternoon. The South Dakota softball team overcame all odds this season and won four out of five games at the 2026 Summit League Tournament to win the program's first-ever conference title and clinched a berth to the NCAA Softball Tournament with a 2-1 winner-take-all victory over top-seed Omaha.
"This means so much to USD Softball. Not only the current team but for past coaches, alumni, and supporters of the program," said head coach
Robert Wagner. "We all have contributed to this championship! This first one is for all of us."
It was another gutsy performance from sophomore
Madison Evans in the winner-take-all game. After Omaha got to Evans in Game 1, she did not bat an eye and threw a stellar one-hit game against the Mavericks in Game 2 to lead the Yotes to their first-ever conference tournament game.
On the weekend, Evans compiled a 4-1 record with a 1.69 ERA. She struck out 32 batters over 29.0 innings of work. She allowed just 14 hit and 10 runs (seven earned) in the tournament, while holding the top-seeded Mavericks to just three hits and one hit in the two victories she had against them.
GAME 1: Omaha 10, South Dakota 1 (F/6)
PITCHING DECISIONS
Win: Maddia Groff (19-7)
Loss: Madison Evans (14-14)
Omaha took the first game 10-1 in six innings to force the decisive winner-take-all game at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium.
It was just a glitch in the matrix and a minor storyline in the incredible four-day and five-game tournament run for the Coyotes.
"I felt like the first game got away from us a little and I wanted to save her," said Wagner. "I explained to her and the team that we needed to win one game, whatever it takes." And what a decision that proved to be for the ball coach.
GAME 2: South Dakota 2, Omaha 1
PITCHING DECISIONS
Win: Madison Evans (15-14)
Loss: Maddia Groff (19-8)
Evans got the nod to start the final game of the Summit League Tournament in the winner-take-all game for the crown. The sophomore was completely unphased by Game 1, as she took to the circle in the final game and tossed a complete game one-hit performance against the best offensive team in the Summit League.
Omaha would strike first for a run in the first, taking the early 1-0 lead on one hit in the frame.
Brooke Carey doubled to the left center field gap off Groff with one away in the second to put the tying run in scoring position in the second inning.
Sara Iburg traded places with her with a double of her own down the left field line, to knot it up at 1-1.
In her first at-bat of the Summit League Tournament, freshman
Camryn Kersten drove in the second Coyote run of the frame with an infield single to give USD their first lead of the day at 2-1, which also proved to be the game-winning and championship clinching run to come across the plate.
"Camryn stepped up today. She has played a lot this year and we have a ton of confidence in her," noted Wagner. "I'm happy for her that she was able to be so competitive and step up for us in such a big moment."
Evans turned in a solid second inning looking more like herself on the week. A 1-2-3 inning with a pair of strike outs got the bats back into the dugout. She'd set down four Mavericks in a row into the third inning and had four strike outs through three innings.
Kiya Johnson began the fourth inning with a single to left field with Carey moving her into scoring position with a brilliantly laid sac bunt. The Yotes were unable to push across any more runs in the frame.
Kersten got her second hit of the day in the fifth, moving herself into scoring position with her fourth stolen base of the season. The Yotes got two runners into scoring position but could not score, continuing to hold onto the 2-1 lead.
After a lead-off walk in the fifth, Evans picked up her sixth strike out of the day with an off-speed pitch. Working with runners on first and second, Evans once again came up clutch with a full count strike out to keep the one-run lead intact.
Omaha got the first two runners of the sixth inning on with a pair of walks. A circle visit from Wagner was in order to rally the troops. Evans got the much-needed ground ball with a grounder to third that saw Carey start the 5U-3 GDP to get two outs. Working around another walk from a full count at-bat, Evans would get to another full-count and freeze the Maverick hitter with a phenomenal off-speed pitch to get out of the frame.
Needing just three outs, it was reminiscent of the seventh inning with Omaha on Wednesday. Evans made quick work of the Omaha batters, working her second 1-2-3 inning of the day, with a ground out and two pop ups to short stop to clinch the program's first-ever title.
South Dakota was held to just six hits and the two second-inning runs by Omaha's ace Maddia Groff, but, once again, it proved to be enough for Evans and the Coyote defense behind her.
COYOTE ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM MEMBERS
Madison Evans, P – MVP
Brooke Carey, 3B
Autumn Iversen, OF
Kiya Johnson, 2B
Delaney White, 1B
NOTES:
- The Coyotes win the program's FIRST-EVER conference title at any level [NCC, Great West, Summit League] since the program began in 1978 (48th season in 2026).
- The Yotes will be making the program's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
- The win over Omaha avenged the 2025 SLT championship game loss to the Mavericks in the winner-take-all game.
- South Dakota joins Nebraska as the only team in the country this year to give the Mavericks three losses.
- USD was 16-33-1 entering the Summit League Tournament and won four out of five games to secure the title, including the first three games of the tournament.
- With the combined nine strike outs in the two games today, Madison Evans now sits SECOND all-time in program history in single season strike outs (187).
- With her 30th start of the year, she moves into T6th for most in one season.
- She's just one of eight Coyotes to have 30+ starts in a season in the 48-year history of the program.
- Evans picked up her 15th win of the season which sits T9th in program history.
- Camryn Kersten played in her first SLT this week and in her first at-bats today went 2-for-3 with the game-winning RBI.
- She was the only Coyote with multiple hits in Game 2 with her 2-for-3 day.
UP NEXT: South Dakota awaits their regional location to be announced by the NCAA tomorrow night. The selection show is slated for Sunday, May 10 at 6 p.m. (CT) and will be aired on ESPN2. Stay tuned for more information on the team's selection, game information, and more on GoYotes.com.
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