No. 2 seed South Dakota State opened the 2018 Summit League Softball Championship with a dominant 8-0, six-inning victory over No. 6 seed Fort Wayne Thursday afternoon.
SDSU (33-14) racked up 11 hits in the affair and did not commit an error, methodically pulling away from the Mastodons (19-34).
Madison Hope dazzled in her 20th win of the season, allowing just two hits and a walk while striking out four in a complete-game performance.
Julia Andersen was 3-for-4 at the plate with a triple and a double, while Megan Rushing went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and a three-run home run.
South Dakota State continues its 2018 Summit League Championship run Friday at 1 p.m. against top-seeded North Dakota State in Fargo.
