Softball Wins Series vs. USD

Saturday, May 7

Jackrabbit Softball Stadium

11:00 AM

South Dakota State University

23-33, 0

South Dakota

14-36, 0

South Dakota

South Dakota State

Photo by: GoJacks.com

5/7/2016 2:44:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Jackrabbits win final home game

BROOKINGS, S.D.—In the final home game of the 2016 season, the South Dakota State softball team defeated South Dakota, 6-4, in Summit League action Saturday morning to win the series, 2-1.

With the win, the Jackrabbits are now 23-33 overall and 8-10 in league play while the Coyotes fall to 14-36 and 8-9. SDSU is the No. 5 seed in the upcoming Summit League Championship May 11-14 at Ellig Sports Complex in Fargo, N.D.

The Jackrabbits scored four runs in the third inning when junior Christian McKone (Bonney Lake, Wash.) reached first on an error and scored on freshman Julia Andersen's (Papillion, Neb.) single. Senior Devan Larsen (Monroe, Wash.) hit her 11th home run of the season with a three-run shot to center field.

SDSU's fifth run came in the fourth inning when freshman Yanney Ponce (San Bernardino, Calif.) scored on a walk to freshman Ali Herdliska (Solon, Iowa).

USD scored three runs in the fifth, but SDSU responded with a run on pinch-hitter Erin Mullen's (Bettendorf, Iowa) double to right center to score sophomore Abby Murphy (Macksburg, Iowa).

The Coyotes scored once more in the sixth before sophomore Ashlyn Bender (Highland, Calif.) struck out the final two batters of the frame. She blanked USD in the seventh to pick up her first save of the season.

McKone and Herdliska each broke single-season records. McKone stole bases in the third and fourth innings to give her 29 steals on 31 attempts. Herdliska collected her 29th and 30th walks of the season.

Sophomore Bryana Clark (Riverside, Calif.) picked up her 13th win of the season, going five and one-third innings and striking out four. Bender pitched one and two-thirds innings with three strikeouts.