Bats erupt as Jacks split doubleheader

Saturday, April 1

Vermillion, S.D.

12 p.m.

South Dakota State University

13-22, 0-4

South Dakota

11-19, 2-2

South Dakota State

South Dakota

Photo by: Jeff Kellum

4/1/2017 4:51:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

VERMILLION, S.D. -- Jackrabbit softball split its Summit League doubleheader against South Dakota Saturday, falling 7-6 in extra innings in game one before claiming a 10-3 win over the Coyotes in the second game.

The first contest was an offensive shootout that saw the teams combined for 26 hits, while a pair of big innings and 13 hits helped the Jacks take the day's finale. For the day, SDSU had 27 total hits, including extra base efforts.

SDSU is now 14-22 on the year and 1-4 in Summit League play while USD is 11-20 overall and 2-3 in league contests.

South Dakota 7, South Dakota State 6 (Eight innings)
Abby Deane started and threw into the second before she was replaced by Madison Hope. Deane allowed three runs while Hope gave up three runs (one earned) with two strikeouts. Ashlyn Bender (6-8) pitched the eighth and was dealt the loss.

Emily Ensrud went 3 for 4 at the plate with four RBI and a triple, while Ali Herdliksa was 2 for 5 with a pair of doubles. Mallory McQuistan went 2 for 3 on the day. Julia Andersen and Erin Mullen also drove in runs for the Jacks.

Down 1-0 after the first, SDSU put up a four-spot in the second to take the lead. A pair of infield singles from Abbey Murphy and McQuistan put two on, and after a two-out walk from Mullen the bases were emptied with an RBI triple from Ensrud. Ahead 3-1 at that point, Andersen doubled to left center to score Ensrud and put the Jacks up three.

USD responded with a pair of runs to cut SDSU's advantage to one in the bottom of the second, but bases loaded double play helped the Jacks get out of a jam in the inning before State scored another two runs in the third.

After Lyndsey Crist worked a leadoff walk, McQuistan and Baily Janssen logged consecutive one-out singles to load the bases for Mullen, who looped a single to right center that allowed Crist to score. In the next at-bat, Ensrud hit a sacrifice fly and put SDSU back up three (6-3).

The Coyotes, however, would not go away and scored another set of runs in the bottom of the third, keeping things close at 6-5.

Scoreless over the next two and a half frames, USD tied things in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single down the left field line.

SDSU forced extras by putting together the first three up, three down inning of the day in the bottom half of the seventh.

In the eight, State put a runner on first behind Crist's two-out single, but it was USD who came up with the walkoff win after a bases loaded RBI single in the bottom of the inning.

South Dakota State 10, South Dakota 3
Deane (8-12) tossed a complete game, scattering five hits with three runs allowed and six strikeouts.

Mallory McQuistan was 2 for 3 in the game with three RBI and a two-run home run. Murphy was 3 for 3 at the plate with an RBI double while Ensrud had two hits and two RBI. Ali Herdliska added a solo home run.

South Dakota State broke through in the top of the second, taking a 1-0 lead on Mullen's two-out RBI single, scoring Crist (who earlier was hit by a pitch) from second).

The Jacks stretched their lead to 4-0 in the fourth, manufacturing another three runs. With one out, Murphy singled and McQuistan was hit by a pitch, putting runners on first and second for State. From there, Danielle Steffo pinch hit for Yanney Ponce and promptly drove an 0-2 pitch into left center to plate Murphy. In the next at-bat, Ensrud singled to center and drove McQuistan and Steffo home.

USD got two back in the bottom of the fourth, but the Jackrabbit offense took control in the fifth with another four runs. Herdliska started the rally with one-out solo home run before a Crist walk and back-to-back doubles from Murphy and McQuistan made it 7-2. From there, McQuistan moved to third on Mullen's ground ball, and Ponce singled into center to push McQuistan across and stretch SDSU's advantage to six (8-2).

After the Coyotes had a home run in the sixth, McQuistan had a two-run home run for the Jacks in the seventh to wrap up the scoring.

Game Notes

Ali Herdliska is now tied for fourth on SDSU's career home run record list with 19, matching Shelly Brandel. No. 3 is Ashley Kalina (20).
Herdliska has now recorded a hit in seven consecutive games and has reached safely in nine straight.
Mallory McQuistan raised her average from .242 to .292 on the day with four hits.
Emily Ensrud put together SDSU's fourth four-RBI performance of the season in game one.
Abby Deane threw her ninth complete game.
SDSU has now scored 10 or more runs in a game three times this year.

Up Next
SDSU and USD wrap up this weekend's three-game series Sunday at 11 a.m., from Vermillion, South Dakota. The winner of tomorrow's rubber match will earn a point for its respective school in the SD Corn Showdown Series.