VERMILLION, S.D. – North Dakota State softball scored nine unanswered runs to rally and defeat South Dakota 10-5 Sunday afternoon at Nygaard Field to earn a Summit League series sweep of the Coyotes.
 
South Dakota jumped out to a 5-1 lead after three innings, scoring two in the first and capitalizing on a pair of errors in the third to score three unearned runs. NDSU's lone run headed into the fifth came on a Lileigh Nieto single to score Jessica Delatorre in the top of the third.
 
The Bison offense would come alive in the fifth inning, as NDSU loaded the bases with two outs. Zoe King then cut the four-run deficit in half with a two-RBI single to left center. NDSU would then tie the game in the sixth inning with two more runs, the first coming on a sacrifice fly from Bella Dean to score Amai Hanta. Delatorre then tied the game for the Bison later in the sixth inning with a two-out solo home run, her second of the weekend.
 
NDSU's offense would come alive again in the seventh inning, starting with another RBI from King, as she doubled in Mya Boos, who worked a one-out walk the batter before. Ella Claus then added a RBI single and later scored on a RBI single from Star Cortez. Cortez and Hanta executed a double steal in the next at bat to extend the Bison lead and Delatorre added one more RBI later in the inning to cap the scoring for the Bison.
 
After the two earned runs in the first, Jocelyn McClary settled in and allowed just the three unearned runs the rest of the way, picking up her second win of the series and ninth of the season. McClary finished with just two earned runs allowed and three strikeouts.
 
Hanta, Cortez, Dean and King all finished with two hits for NDSU in the game. King recorded a team high three RBI and Delatorre added two. Hanta also had three stolen bases, while Cortez had two and Dean had one. It is the second career three stolen base game for Hanta and first for NDSU since Hanta did it on March 22 last season at Kansas City.
 
The four-run deficit is the second biggest come-from-behind win of the season and the fourth largest in the Division I era for NDSU, one behind the record which was tied earlier this season. It is the first series sweep for NDSU in Summit League play since sweeping St. Thomas March 29-30, 2024. It is the 44^th sweep overall for NDSU since joining the Summit League in 2008.
 
The 35 runs for NDSU in the series is the most for the Bison in a Summit League series since scoring 41 when they swept Fort Wayne 18-0, 10-0 and 13-0 on April 18-19, 2015.
 
North Dakota State will return to action on Tuesday as the Bison continue a nine-game stretch in 10 days, with a single game against St. Thomas at Tharaldson Park. The home opener is scheduled for a 3 p.m. first pitch Tuesday afternoon. The teams will play a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. on Wednesday.