Jacks sweep IUPUI in Summit opener

Friday, March 20

Indianapolis, Ind.

4 p.m. ET

South Dakota State University

IUPUI

3/20/2009 1:00:00 AM | Softball

By: SDSU Sports Info

INDIANAPOLIS ? The South Dakota State softball team got off to a slow start to the season, but the Jackrabbits stepped it up a notch to start Summit League play on Friday with a doubleheader sweep at IUPUI by the scores of 3-0 and 6-2.

The sweep improves the Jacks record to 5-20 overall, but more importantly gives them a 2-0 record in The Summit League heading into Saturday's series finale with the Jaguars.

Game 1
Jenna Marston tossed her ninth-career complete game shutout in the opener, which gives her 72 complete games in her career, tying her with Melissa Peter (1994-97) for the most all-time at SDSU. The game also marked her ninth career shutout, which breaks a tied with Peter for third all-time as SDSU, and three shy of tying Jaime Dormer (1995-98) for the record.

Marston gave up two hits in the first, but pitched herself out of a jam and only allowed two more hits the rest of the game in picking up her second win of the season. She also struck out six and walked two.

Stacey Evans and Kelsey Lunn provided the offense in the Game 1 win, as both went 2-for-3 with a homerun.

Evans came to the plate in the top of the second in a scoreless game with a runner on second and blasted her second homer of the season over the centerfield fence to put the Jacks up 2-0 early.

Lunn provided an insurance run that the Jacks did not end up needed with a solo homerun, her first as a Jackrabbit, over the leftfield fence in the sixth.

Game 2
After getting shutout in the first game, the Jaguars scored first in the nightcap, putting up one run on two hits in the bottom of the first inning.

The Jacks got that run back in the top of the second. Evans drew a one-out walk and then advanced to second on Greta Stroh sacrifice bunt. Krystal Higgerson came up next and smacked a double to left field that scored Evans and tied the game at 1-1.

The Jags went back on top in the bottom of the third, scoring one run on three hits, but the lead did not last, as SDSU plated three runs in the fifth to take the lead for good.

Brittany Postma reached on an error and the promptly stole second to get into scoring position for her sister Brooke, who came through with a single to left that scored Brittany to tie the game at 2-2.

Two batters later, and with Brooke on third with two outs, Dani Brosher hit a double into left field that scored Brooke to put the Jacks up for good at 3-2. Broshar scored the final run of the inning in the next at-bat on a Lunn single to left centerfield.

The Jacks added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh on a Broshar two-run shot over the left field fence, her first homerun of the season.

Chelsey Evans went the distance in picking up her first collegiate win to improve to 1-3 on the season. Evans gave up nine hits, struck out six and walked two in the win.

The Jacks go for the series sweep on Saturday against the Jacks at 11 a.m.