Jacks shut out opponents Saturday

Saturday, March 10

Clearwater, Fla.

8 a.m.

South Dakota State University

Central Connecticut State

Photo by: Laura Mullen

3/10/2018 12:50:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

CLEARWATER, Fla. – South Dakota State cruised through Saturday at the USF-Under Armour Showcase without allowing a run, picking up a 2-0 win over Central Connecticut State before a dominant 8-0, five-inning victory against Maine.

The Jackrabbit softball team is now 12-7 on the season and has won six of its eight games on the current road trip.

Game One: South Dakota State 2, Central Connecticut 0
Madison Hope (7-1) dazzled in a pitcher's duel, scattering three hits and facing just four batters over the minimum in the complete game win. She struck out five and walked only one.

Brittney Morse went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead the Jacks, logging her 15th RBI of the season. Erin Mullen added an RBI as well with her second double of the campaign.

Scoreless through four and half innings, State broke through in the fifth when Dana Chavez led off with a double, wheeling around to score when Mullen took a 2-2 pitch into right center.

The Jacks added an insurance run in the sixth to go up two late. Abbey Murphy started the frame with single to right center, and after taking second on a sacrifice bunt from Ali Herdliska dashed home when Morse sliced a 1-0 pitch down the right field line.

SDSU worked around a pair of leadoff CCSU runners in the top of the seventh, ending the game with three straight outs.

Game Two: South Dakota State 8, Maine 0 (Five innings)
Taylor Compton (5-6) continued the stellar play from the Jackrabbit battery in the day's finale, striking out three while scattering three walks and three hits over five complete innings.

Five Jackrabbits tallied hits, led by Paige Gerdes' three-run home run and a pair of RBIs for Morse.

State burst out of the gates, racking up three runs in the opening frame and another four in the second to lead 7-0 early.

Julia Andersen started the first with a single before Murphy and Herdliska loaded the bases with consecutive walks. Andersen came home when Morse reached on a fielder's choice and with one out Gerdes reached safely on an error as Herdliska dashed home. With runners on first and second and just one out, Chavez poked a singled into left to reload the bases before a sacrifice fly from Baily Janssen allowed Morse to come home.

In the second, Murphy (hit-by-pitch), Herdliska (walk) and Morse (single) loaded the bases with one out and Gerdes took a 1-0 pitch over the left field fence for her first home run of the season.

Up 7-0, State continued to limit the Maine offense before putting the game away in the bottom of the fifth by run-rule. Lyndsey Crist was hit by a pitch to start the final frame and took second when Janssen singled to right. A deep fly ball allowed Crist to move to third before Ponce hit a sacrifice fly to end it as Crist crossed the plate.

Up Next
South Dakota State wraps up its spring break trip with a pair of games Sunday morning. The Jackrabbits will take on Quinnipiac at 8 a.m. and close the weekend against Delaware State at 10:15 a.m.

-GoJacks.com-