MADEIRA BEACH, FLA (KELO.com) — South Dakota knocked off the 2019 NCAA Tournament participant Monmouth 3-1 Sunday before dropping a 3-0 decision to Central Arkansas on the final day of the Madeira Beach Invitational Sunday at R.O.C. Park.
The Coyotes moved to 4-7 on the season and were 2-4 on their first trip to the Sunshine State. South Dakota returns to the same spot next weekend for five more games. That slate begins with Georgetown and Manhattan Friday.
Monmouth (2-3) returned nearly everyone from last year’s MAAC championship team and that included all-region pitcher Alyssa Irons, a 30-game winner a year ago. But the Coyotes’ tagged Irons for 11 hits and three runs and got another fantastic performance from Sarah Lisko in the circle to score the upset.
USD scored first on an RBI single by Lauren Wobken in the bottom of the second that scored pinch runner Sydney Perryman from third. Jordyn Pender singled earlier in the inning and Kierstin Denning’s ground-rule double put runners in scoring position.
Monmouth answered in the fourth on a double by Amanda Hopeck. Two batters later, Hawks’ right fielder Morgan Maziarz hit a ball just past third base. USD shortstop Lauren Eamiguel ran the ball down and threw home in time to get Hopeck trying to score on the play. In addition to Eamiguel’s play, USD had two outfield assists during the game.
South Dakota started the fifth inning with five consecutive hits, but two outs on the base paths limited the damage. Charis Black scored the go-ahead run on a double from Dylan Underwood and Jordyn Pender made it 3-1 with an RBI single.
Lisko (3-1) took care of the rest. She retired eight of the final 10 batters to earn her second complete-game victory. She allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out one.
Central Arkansas (7-4) and South Dakota were meeting for the second straight season at R.O.C. Park and the Bears made it two in a row. They mustered just five hits in a game stopped an inning short so teams could catch their flights home. UCA shortstop Lexi McClellan doubled and scored in both the fourth and sixth innings as part of a 2-for-3 effort.
South Dakota totaled four hits, but couldn’t string enough together. The Coyotes were 0-for-10 with runners on base.
Alexis Devers took the loss without allowing a hit. She walked four before being replaced in the bottom of the fourth inning. Holly Fletcher pitched into the bottom of the sixth before the game was stopped.
Courtney Wilson was 3-for-4 on the day with a pair of walks. She extended her hitting streak to nine games and leads the Coyotes overall with a .389 average (14-for-36). Pender also had three hits Sunday and is batting .364 overall (12-for-33).
(Contributed by Bryan Boettcher, Sports Information Director, University of South Dakota.)
