Jacks walk-off with split against Southern Utah

Friday, April 8

Jackrabbit SB Stadium

2 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Southern Utah

Jayhawks walk to 8-0 win over Jackrabbits

4/8/2011 8:40:00 PM | Softball

By: SDSU Sports Info

Tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning Game 2 of a doubleheader against Southern Utah on Friday, South Dakota State sophomore Devon Reick reached on a throwing error, which allowed Greta Stroh to score the winning run from second base go give the Jackrabbits a 2-1 win.

Southern Utah, who stranded 12 on base in the loss, won the opener 11-3.

The split gives the Jacks an 8-25 overall record and a 5-6 record in The Summit League heading into tomorrow's rubber game. The Thunderbirds end the day with a 17-20 overall record and retain the top spot in the league standings with an 8-3 record.

Down 1-0 entering the seventh and with just two hits in the game, Kori Seidlitz opened the frame with a single through the left side and then gave way to pinch runner Pam Nicholson, who promptly stole second, advanced to third on a Tina Winter fly out to right field and then scored on a Stroh pinch hit single up the middle to tie the game at 1-1.

That brought up Allison Huffman, who came through with a single up the middle to advance Stroh into scoring position, setting the stage for Reick, who slapped the ball back to the SUU pitcher, whose throw went offline and allowed Stroh to score the game winner.

Seidlitz went the distance for the Jacks to pick up her fourth win of the season, despite issuing a season-high bases on balls. She also struck out five and gave up just one run on five hits. She also helped her cause with a 1-for-2 day at the plate, with a walk of her own.

The nightcap came in stark contrast to the opener, where SUU plated three runs in each of the first two innings to take an early 6-0 lead.

The Jacks came back with three runs in the third, getting RBI hits from Emily Weber, Ashley Durazo to score the first two runs, and a the third run when Durazo scored from third after the Thunderbirds caught Krista Honken stealing at second.

Southern Utah got one of those runs back in the fourth and then added two runs in both the fifth and seventh innings to secure the 11-3 win.

Nicholson took the Game 1 loss after giving up nine runs, six earned, on 12 hits with a walk and a strikeout thought six innings before giving way to Jennifer Bye, who made her Jackrabbit debut in the seventh. Bye walked one and gave up a pair of unearned runs in the seventh.

The Jacks and T-Birds return to Jackrabbit Softball Stadium on Saturday for the rubber game of the three game series, which begins at 1 p.m.