Coyote softball goes 4-1 in Florida over the weekend
USD women’s softball is off to their best start in a decade after winning four games in Madeira Beach, Fla. over the weekend.
Redshirt-freshman Alexis Devers started and finished the weekend with complete-game victories. Devers pitched seven shutout innings Friday against Albany. She allowed one hit and two walks while striking out five.
A pair of runs in the third inning was enough for the Coyotes to take the 2-0 victory. Senior Dustie Durham notched an RBI-double to right followed by a single from senior Catcher Jessica Rogers to bring in Durham.
Friday’s second games was another shutout victory for the Coyotes, 6-0 over Cornell. Durham pitched a complete game, allowing six hits and striking out five. Senior Jamie Holscher knocked home two runs in the fifth and shortstop Lauren Eamiguel hit a three-run home run in the seventh to put the game away for good.
The first of two games Saturday ended in dramatic fashion. After two sacrifice fly balls, one in the third and fifth, Purdue held a 2-0 lead going into the sixth. The Coyotes brought home a pair of runs in the sixth, and in the bottom of the seventh inning, Holscher nailed a two-run walk-off homer to right center field.
The Coyotes lone loss of the weekend came Saturday evening against Drexel, who USD beat the previous weekend thanks to a Holscher walk-off home run in the eighth inning. The second meeting was not great, as Drexel won 20-5 in five innings.
Devers finished the weekend off by allowing one run over seven innings against Middle Tennessee State Sunday. Holscher hit her sixth home run of the season and Devers held the shutout through six innings before allowing a run in the seventh.
Devers and Holscher were honored with Summit League Players of the Week. Devers won the Pitcher of the Week award with her two complete games, allowing only one run. Devers pitched a total of 19 innings for the week. Holscher won the Player of the Week award for her three home runs in three games. Holscher has won the award twice this season. She has six home runs, including two walk-offs, and has a batting average of .469 (23-of-49).
The Coyotes are 11-4 to start the season. That is the best start since 2009, where USD started 14-4. Next up for the Coyotes is a trip to the southwest, where they play in a tournament hosted by Grand Canyon University. The tournament starts Friday, March 1 in Phoenix, Ariz.
