Softball Sweeps Crusaders at Rebel Spring Games

Monday, March 7

Kissimmee, Fla.

8:00 AM

South Dakota State University

4-14

Holy Cross

1-7

South Dakota State

Holy Cross

Photo by: Inertia Sports Media/Dave Eggen

3/7/2016 10:14:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – South Dakota State freshman Ali Herdliska smacked two home runs and added a triple in a 3 for 6 day at the plate, as South Dakota State swept a doubleheader against Holy Cross on Monday at the Rebel Spring Games, winning the opener 3-1 and the second game 8-5.

The Jacks first winning streak of the season gives them a 5-15 record, while Holy Cross falls to 1-8 to start the year.

Herdliska led off the second inning of the first game with her first longball of the day to give the Jacks an early 1-0 lead, only to see the Crusaders tie it right back up in the bottom of the frame.

Still tied at 1-1 entering the sixth, Herdliska drove home Abbey Murphy to put the Jacks back in front, and then got a Lauren Chirnside for the game's final run, as Ashlyn Bender took care of the rest. She struck out seven Holy Cross batters and gave up four hits in the complete game win.

SDSU fell behind 2-0 into the third inning of Game 2, but capitalized on a Crusader miscue and got a 2-RBI double from Chirnside to score three runs in the bottom of the third to take a 3-2 lead.

Holy Cross got one of those runs back in the top of the fourth, but SDSU bounced back in their half of the frame with a Yanney Ponce RBI single that gave SDSU a 4-3 lead. Ponce then stole home to make it 5-3 SDSU after four complete.

After a scoreless fifth, the Crusaders scored one in the top of the sixth, but SDSU responded with three more in the bottom of the inning, with a solo home run from Danielle Steffo, the first of her career, and a two-run blast from Herdliska that put SDSU on top 8-3 into the seventh.

The Crusaders tried to mound a rally in the seventh, and did manage one run, but Bryana Clark shut the door on them, stranding two on base to end the game, and complete the complete game win.

SDSU gets the rest of the day to celebrate, but returns to action on Tuesday, with games against Creighton and Hampton on the slate. The Jacks and Bluejays start at 8 a.m., with a 12:30 p.m. first pitch scheduled against the Pirates.