USD Softball Extends Their Win Streak in Lion Classic
The USD softball team headed down to Commerce, Texas, to compete in the Lion Classic from Saturday, Feb. 22 to Monday, Feb. 24. The Coyotes performed well by going 4-1 on the weekend.
USD faced Prairie View A&M in a double header to start the classic, where they ended 1-1 on the day. The Coyotes lost the first match up 4-8, but turned around and won the second game 4-1.
Sophomore Autumn Iverson got the fourth inning going with a lead-off single. Senior Tatum Villotta earned a walk to bring in the first score for USD.
A fielder’s choice from junior Delaney White would bring in the tying run. Following another walk, sophomore Brooke Carey singled up the middle to bring in two more runs, giving USD a 4-2 lead.
Prairie View secured the game 8-4. Senior Clara Edwards pitched six innings and fell to 3-3 on the season for USD.
In the second game of the day, Sophomore McKenna Young allowed only four Panther hits and one run for a complete-game victory. She improved to 3-0 in the circle and recorded a career-high 14 strikeouts.
After two innings, the score remained tied at 1-1. The Coyotes shined in the fifth inning with Villotta singling and Iversen drawing a walk. White recorded her third RBI on the day with a single to right field, and freshman Piper Ruhl doubled to center, securing a 4-1 win for USD.
On Sunday, the Coyotes faced East Texas A&M in a double header. USD picked up two wins on the day with scores of 3-2 and 8-4, respectively.
Young tossed her second straight complete game with 11 strikeouts. She allowed just three hits and two earned runs in her seven innings pitched.
Villotta, White, and redshirt junior Alyssa Thorson each had three singles to load the bases. Vilotta was able to come home on a wild pitch, and Ruhl put the Yotes up 2-0 by bringing in Thorson.
Edwards brought the lead to 3-0 with a homerun over the left field fence, which was her first of the season. The Yotes were able to hold the score at 3-2 to secure the win.
In the second game of the day, Villotta and Thorson got the Yotes off on a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
USD took a 5-2 lead on a single by Villotta, which scored Ruhl. Ruhl and freshman Campbell German also scored previously to add runs for the Coyotes.
USD put runners in scoring position by a single from white and a double from Edwards. Freshman Brynnly German recorded her first hit as a Coyote that brought in two runs, bringing the lead to 7-4.
The Coyotes were able to secure the game with a 8-4 win. The two teams turned around the next day to face each other Monday morning.
Villotta started off the game with a triple, as White and Edwards would also reach the bases. Sophomore Abbi Brown brought the score to 4-0 with a three-run homer, which was her first of the season.
USD was able to score four more runs in the game to secure their final game of the classic 8-0. Edwards was in the circle for all five innings, in which she struck out four and allowed only three hits.
The Coyotes will be back on the field on Friday, Feb. 28 in Hampton, Virginia for the Pirate-Spartan Challenge. Their first game is slated for 11 a.m. CST against Hampton.
