Jacks tally 19 hits but drop doubleheader at UMKC

Tuesday, April 11

Kansas City, Mo.

1 p.m.

South Dakota State University

14-26

UMKC

12-27

South Dakota State

UMKC

Photo by: Jeff Kellum

4/11/2017 4:30:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

KANSAS CITY – The Jackrabbit softball program fell 6-3 and 3-2 in a Tuesday doubleheader at UMKC.

South Dakota State racked up 19 hits in the two games but dropped to 14-27 on the year.

Ashlyn Bender started the first game and tossed 3.1 innings, allowing six runs on eight hits with a strikeout. Katie Lang entered with one out in the fourth and threw the rest of the way, giving up just one hit with four strikeouts and four walks.

Brittney Morse, Ali Herdliska, Mallory McQuistan and Yanney Ponce all had two hits for the Jacks. Morse had a home run, double and walk while Abbey Murphy racked up an RBI with her second double of the season.

The Jacks opened up a 2-0 lead early in the first behind Morse's seventh home run of the year, taking a 1-1 pitch of the left field fence to score Lyndsey Crist as well, who reached in the previous at-bat after being hit by a pitch.

SDSU threatened for more in the third by loading the bases, but it was the Kangaroos who scored next, pushing three across after taking advantage of a pair of Jackrabbit errors.

Down 3-2 at that point, State saw its deficit grow to four (6-2) as UMKC added another three runs in the fourth, but the Jacks got one back in the fifth. Morse drove a ball to left that hit the top of the fence and bounced back into play, taking second before coming around to score on Murphy's one-out double to right.

Trailing 6-3, South Dakota State looked to close the gap further with a runner in the sixth, but were kept off the board the rest of the way as UMKC took game one.

Game two saw Madison Hope make her fourth start of the year in game two, as the junior went the distance but took the loss, falling to 0-4 in the circle. Hope allowed three runs over 6.1 innings, striking out two with four walks and five hits allowed.

Alexis Ray went 3 for 3 at the plate and Paige Gerdes drove in a pair of runs.

Murphy opened the second with a double to center, and with one out came around to score when Paige Gerdes took the first pitch she saw into center for a double of her own to give SDSU an early 1-0 lead.

That score held until the bottom of the fourth when UMKC plated a pair and took a 2-1 lead. SDSU, however, kept things tight and drew even by taking advantage of a 'Roos error in the sixth.

Herdliska started the inning with a four-pitch walk and took second on Murphy's sacrifice bunt. From there, McQuistan singled to center to put runners on the corners before Gerdes reached on an error, picking up the RBI as Herdliska scampered home.

Even at 2-all, SDSU put runners on the corners in the second but couldn't push a go-ahead run across. UMKC walked off in the seventh after a leadoff triple and sacrifice fly.

Game Notes
Brittney Morse hit her seventh home run, four more than any other Jackrabbit this season.

Paige Gerdes tallied her first career multi-RBI performance in game two.
Madison Hope tossed a season-high 6.1 innings.

Up Next
South Dakota State hosts Fort Wayne this weekend in its 2017 home opener. The Jackrabbits and Mastodons play in a Friday doubleheader at Noon and 2 p.m., followed by a Saturday 11 a.m., contest.

-GoJacks.com-