League openers
INDIANAPOLIS — South Dakota hit eight home runs and pitchers Rachel Cue and Madison Frain of Creston delivered in the circle as the Coyotes swept IUPUI 6-1 and 11-7 to begin Summit League play Saturday at chilly IUPUI Softball Field.
Frain (4-7) took a shutout into the final inning of the nightcap. South Dakota scored four runs in the fourth and seventh innings to take an 11-0 lead. The Jaguars (18-10, 2-3) got a three-run double from Maggie Good and a two-run homer from pinch hitter Jazmine Pedrotti as part of a seven-run final inning. Cue replaced Frain following the homer and struck out Delilah Wright to end the game.
Frain allowed four earned runs and 11 hit while striking out five with four walks.
IUPUI avoided being swept at home by blanking South Dakota 7-0 Sunday in the final game of a three-game series at IUPUI Softball Field. Frain got the last two outs in relief of Cue.
South Dakota (10-18-1, 2-1) begins a three-game series Friday against North Dakota State in Fargo, N.D.
300 game
Ron Pendegraft bowled his first 300 game during league play March 26 at Pine Valley in the Union League.
Pendegraft bowled games of 236, 216 and 300 for a series score of 752.
Spotlight athlete
FOREST CITY — Senior Carla Smith of Greenfield was named the Spotlight Athlete of the Week for Waldorf college for the week of March 22-28.
Smith batted .500 in four Midlands Collegiate Conference Crossover games at Conway, Ark. over the weekend. She collected five total hits, including two doubles and finished with seven RBI.
Smith went 2-for-3 in Friday’s 5-3 loss to Central Christian College and knocked in a run with a third-inning groundout in a 10-3 loss to Central Baptist College.
On Saturday, Smith cranked a three-run double in a 13-0 victory over Haskell Indian Nations University. Smith turned in a 2-2 performance at the plate and three RBI as the Warriors fell in a 9-8 loss in eight innings to Oklahoma Wesleyan University. She smacked an RBI double in the top of the first inning and went deep with a two-run home run in the fifth.
Smith owns a .297 batting average for the season with 11 hits and 11 RBI. She currently has a .366 on-base percentage and a .459 slugging percentage.