Postma ties steals record, but Jacks lose two

Saturday, March 8

Wichita, Kan.

3 p.m.

South Dakota State University

UMKC

3/8/2008 1:00:00 AM | Softball

By: SDSU Sports Info

WICHITA, Kan. ? South Dakota State rallied from a 6-1 deficit to tie Iowa State at 6-all, and led UMKC after one inning, but he Jackrabbits could not hold on in either contest, falling to the Cyclones 15-7 and falling to the Kangaroos 5-2on Saturday at the Shocker Invitational in Wichita, Kan.

The one bright spot in the day, junior Brooke Postma tied Ashley Kalina (2002-05) for the SDSU career steals record with 47 against UMKC.

The losses send the Jacks to 4-12, while the Cyclones, who received votes in this week's USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll, improved to 16-3, and the Kangaroos, who travel to Brookings for a trio of conference games in April, improve to 2-7.

Cyclones squash Jackrabbit comeback
The Jacks capitalized on an ISU error to score the first run of the game in the first inning. Ashley Durazo reached base on an error, and then scored later in the inning on a Kiley Schwedhelm single to put SDSU up 1-0 early.

Iowa State responded with six runs on five hits in the bottom half of the first to take a commanding 6-1 lead.

Dani Broshar opened the Jackrabbit half of the second with a single to left center field, and then scored to make it 6-2, when Durazo reached on an error for the second time in as many innings.

Down four runs in the fourth inning, Brooke Postma opened the inning with a single down the left field line, and advanced to second on a Greta Stroh bunt single in the next at bat.

Sam Heinzman drew a walk in the next at bat to load the bases, which brought up Durazo, who singled home Postma and Stroh to cut the ISU lead to 6-4.

Jessica Vineyard came up next and singled down the right field line, which scored Heinzman and Durazo to tie the game at 6-all heading into the bottom of the fourth.

It did not take long for Iowa State to break the tie, as the Cyclones pounded out seven hits and scored six hits in the fourth to build a 12-6 lead.

SDSU got one back in the top of the fifth on Stroh's first career homerun, but the Cyclones needed three in the bottom of the fifth to end the game, and they got them, ending the game on a passed ball.

Stroh led the Jackrabbit batters with a 2-for-3 performance, including the homerun, while Durazo went 1-for-3 with three RBI and a pair of runs scored.

The Jackrabbits look to snap their current six game skid on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. with a non-conference game against Summit League foe UMKC.

Kangroos jump the Jacks
Just like they did against Iowa State in the first game of the day, the Jackrabbits scored in the top of the first inning against UMKC in the nightcap.

Sam Heinzman opened the game with a single through the left side, and then scored two batters later on a Jessica Vineyard double to put SDSU on top 1-0.

It stayed that way until the bottom of the third, when UMKC used six hits and one Jackrabbit error to score five runs.

The Jacks added one more run in the top of the seventh on a two-out Ashley Durazo RBI double that scored Heinzman, but the Jacks ran out of innings.

Kiley Schwedhelm pitched three innings for the Jacks, and took the loss, while Jenna Marston pitched three innings in her first relief appearance of the year.

Durazo led the Jacks on offense, going 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and an RBI.

The Jacks try to snap their eight-game skid on Sunday, when they wrap-up the Shocker Invitational against with rematches against Iowa State at 9 a.m. and against UMKC at 11 a.m.