Jacks falter in weekend finale

Sunday, March 12

Clearwater, Fla.

8:15 a.m.

South Dakota State University

12-14

SIU Edwardsville

19-4

South Dakota State

SIU Edwardsville

Photo by: Laura Mullen

3/12/2017 12:30:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

CLEARWATER, Fla. – South Dakota State dropped a 4-3 contest to SIU Edwardsville in its weekend finale at the USF-Under Armour Invitational Sunday.

The Jackrabbits (12-14) went 4-1 on the weekend and have won nine of their last 12 games.

Emily Ensrud went 2 for 4 on the day with a pair of singles and two RBI, while Lyndsey Crist had a home run and Ali Herdliska racked up a double.

In the circle, Abby Deane (6-8) replaced starter Ashlyn Bender in the first and threw the final 5.2 innings, allowing two runs with four strikeouts. Bender was charged with two runs (one earned) on three hits.

Down 2-0 after the first, SDSU threatened with a pair of runners in the second and third innings, but did not break through until the fourth when Ensrud drove in a pair behind a two-out RBI single.

After a fielder's choice and infield single put Mallory McQuistan on second and Erin Mullen on first, Abbey Murphy reached on a two-out SIUE fielding error to load the bases for the Jacks. Ensrud followed with a hit to left, scoring McQuistan and Mullen to draw SDSU even, 2-all.

State took the lead in the fifth, 3-2, when Crist led off the inning with a solo blast to center field for her second home run of the season.

SIUE, however, scratched two runs across to regain the lead (4-3) in the bottom of the sixth, sending the Jacks to the plate in the seventh needing a run to extend the game.

Down to its last chance, Crist walked and Herdliska doubled to left as SDSU put runners in scoring position with no outs, but a pop up and double play ended the Jackrabbit rally, and the game.

Up Next
South Dakota State returns to action next weekend, March 17-19, at the Iowa Tournament in Iowa City, Iowa.