Softball powers its way to doubleheader sweep

Saturday, March 24

Kansas City, Mo.

1 p.m.

South Dakota State University

18-9

UMKC

7-20

South Dakota State

UMKC

Photo by: Laura Mullen

3/24/2018 6:37:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

KANSAS CITY – The Jackrabbit softball team picked up a pair of victories in a Saturday doubleheader at UMKC, topping the Kangaroos 9-4 and 9-2.

South Dakota State has now won five straight and is 19-9 on the season after racking up six total home runs on the day.

Game One: South Dakota State 9, UMKC 4
South Dakota State hit four home runs and rolled to a five-run victory in the first game of the day.

Taylor Compton (7-6) picked up the win, tossing into the second with two runs allowed and a strikeout on three hits. Kendra Conard pitched the rest of the game, tallying six complete innings with five strikeouts to earn the save. She did not allow a baserunner in the final four innings.

Brittany Morse tallied a hit in all four of her at-bats, racking up a team-high four RBIs behind a two-double performance.

Ali Herdliska was 2-for-3 with a pair of home runs, driving in three while scoring three runs of her own.

Lyndsey Crist (2-for-4) and Baily Janssen hit home runs as well.

Herdliska gave SDSU a 1-0 lead in the first with her fourth home run of the season, launching a 2-2 pitch over the right center wall before the Jacks tacked on another four runs in the second.

Janssen homered to start the second, and after Megan Rushing walked moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Abbey Murphy (walk) and Julia Andersen (singled) reached safely to load the bases, and with two outs in the inning Morse ripped a 2-0 pitch to the left-center gap to empty the bases.

UMKC responded with four runs of its own to keep the score tight in the bottom of the second, but State regained breathing room over the next two innings, starting with Crist's long ball in the third.

Morse pushed the advantage to three (7-4) in the fourth with her second double of the game to score Herdliska, and the Solon, Iowa native added another pair of runs in the sixth with her second home run of the game, taking an 0-2 pitch over the center field wall to plate Murphy and put SDSU ahead, 9-4.

Game Two: South Dakota State 9, UMKC 2
Down early, State exploded for nine unanswered down the stretch to pull away and win the day's finale.

Olivia Douglas (1-0) pitched a complete game, scattering seven hits and four walks whiel allowing two runs. Douglas struck out four in her first collegiate win.

Lyndsey Crist was 3-for-5 in the game with a pair of RBIs, scoring two runs as well.

Mallory McQuistan and Megan Rushing hit home runs in the game, as Rushing had three RBIs and McQuistan drove in two runs.

UMKC led 2-0 through four innings with a run in the first and fourth frames before State responded with a seven-spot in the top of the fifth to take control.

Murphy and Andersen opened the inning with consecutive singles, and after Herdliska moved the pair up 60 feet with a sacrifice bunt Crist followed with a single through the left side to score both runners.

With a runner on, McQuistan blasted her fourth home run of the season to left center before Janssen drew a full-count free pass and Rushing launched a 1-1 pitch to left for her second home run of the weekend. Ahead 6-2 at that point, Ponce kept the Jackrabbit offense going with a single before wheeling around the bases as Murphy reached safely on an error.

State added two more in the top of the sixth for good measure, starting the final rally with a pinch-hit single from Danielle Steffo. Crist reached on an error and McQuistan walked to load the bases, and with one out Steffo came home when Chavez lifted a sacrifice fly to left. In the next at-bat, another UMKC error helped Crist dash home for the final run of the day.

Up Next
South Dakota State will go for the four-game sweep in its series at UMKC on Sunday. First pitch is set for 11 a.m.

-GoJacks.com-