The Seattle University softball team held a four-run lead midway through the game, but South Dakota came from behind to force extra innings and then manufactured the run it needed for a 6-5 win Friday afternoon at the Division I Independent Softball Tournament at Butler-Hancock Field.
After was set down in order in the top of the eighth, stranding a runner at second base, started the bottom of the inning with Dani Bahlmann on second base. Lexie Eversley advanced her to third base with a sacrifice bunt, and Bahlmann would score the game-winning run as SeattleU committed its third error of the game.
In the top of the first inning, Katie Antich (, ) led off with a walk, advanced to second on a single by Jamie Foote (, ), and scored on a single to right field by Jessica Amador (). SeattleU added another run in the third inning when Katie Petersen (, ) singled, advanced to second on a Foote sacrifice bunt, and scored on a throwing error.
(32-17) scored once in the bottom of the third inning, but SeattleU responded in the top of the fourth. Cassie Cueto () singled and Antich was hit by a pitch to put two runners on base with one out. Petersen doubled down the left field line to score Cueto, and Lisa Hill () followed with a two-out double that plated Antich and Petersen to give the Redhawks a 5-1 lead.
The Coyotes cut into the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning as Alaina Novotny drove in Tagney Jones and Mel Johnson with a double. forced extra innings in the seventh inning when Jones led off with a single, Johnson reached on a fielder’s choice in which Jones advanced to second safely, and, after a groundout, Rachel Fricke singled to center field to drive both of them home.
Johnson earned the victory for , allowing 11 hits, two walks, and five runs, four of them earned, while striking out three SeattleU batters in eight innings. Kelsey Reynolds () suffered the loss, also allowing 11 hits, two walks, and four earned runs while earning two strikeouts along the way.
(14-20) will face in the final game of pool play tomorrow, April 25, beginning at 9:30 a.m. local time. The winner of the game will receive some rest before beginning bracket play at 2:30 p.m. against Pool B’s third-place team, while the loser will have to start bracket play at 12 noon against the second-place team from Pool B, which includes Cal State Bakersfield, Houston Baptist, and .