MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. (KELO.com) — Lauren Eamiguel’s walk-off RBI single capped a five-run fifth inning and South Dakota made quick work of Merrimack with an 8-0 win Sunday on the final day of the Madeira Beach Invitational at R.O.C. Park.
The win makes the Coyotes an even 8-8 on the year. They were 4-1 on this second trip to Madeira Beach. USD heads to Albuquerque next weekend for five games at the New Mexico Lobo Classic.
Merrimack, making its debut at the Division I level, fell to 0-6 on its opening weekend. The Warriors mustered a total of four singles off USD pitchers Alexis Devers, who tossed the first four innings, and Holly Fletcher, who threw the fifth. Devers struck out four to earn her second win of the season.
South Dakota scored all eight runs with two outs. Kiersten Denning roped a two-run double down the left-field line to open the scoring in the first. She scored one batter later on a base hit by Jordyn Pender that made it 3-0.
It stayed 3-0 until the fifth. The Warriors got the first two hitters, but walked the next three and hit Jadyn DeWitte with a pitch that made it 4-0. A wild pitch made it 5-0, infield singles by Camille Fowler and Courtney Wilson made it 7-0, and Eamiguel drove an offering to the gap in right center field to end the game.
Eight different Coyotes recorded a hit. Fowler was 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and a run scored. She totaled eight hits in 16 at bats on the trip and scored six runs.
Eamiguel was 10-for-14 (.714) with a double, triple and six RBIs in five games during the weekend. Pender was 7-for-11 (.636) with two doubles, a grand slam and 10 RBIs. Both lead the Coyotes with 19 hits on the season. Pender is batting a team-high .432 (19-for-44), which ranks second in the Summit. Her 16 RBIs rank third.
(SOURCE: USD)
