Jackrabbits sweep Fort Wayne

Saturday, April 21

Fort Wayne, Ind.

10 a.m.

South Dakota State University

Fort Wayne

SIOUX FALLS, SD: Julia Andersen tracks a ball in center field (Dave Eggen/Inertia)

Photo by: Dave Eggen/Inertia

4/21/2018 4:24:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – South Dakota State swept a doubleheader at Fort Wayne Saturday, taking down the Mastodons 10-3 and 5-4 at Fort Wayne Softball Field.

The Jackrabbits are now 26-12 overall with a 7-3 mark in Summit League play.

Game One: South Dakota State 10, Fort Wayne 3
South Dakota State racked up 15 hits and nine walks as a team en route to a 10-3 opening game victory.

Julia Andersen was 4-for-5 in the game with three RBIs, while Abbey Murphy went 3-for-3 with a pair of walks and two runs scored and Megan Rushing was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Ali Herdliska drove in two more runs and Mallory McQuistan hit her fifth home run of the season.

Lyndsey Crist worked three walks in the game and had the other RBI.

Madison Hope (15-5) pitched a complete game, scattering seven hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts.

State jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first, capitalizing on a bases-loaded, two-out walk from Lyndsey Crist. The Jacks added another in the second when Murphy singled with two outs, took second on a Fort Wayne error and raced around to score as Andersen poked a single up the middle.

SDSU's lead grew to 3-0 in the fourth when Murphy started the inning with another single, moved to second on a ground out and came home when Herdliska sent a 1-0 pitch back up the middle.

Megan Rushing opened the fifth with a single, and after Yanney Ponce moved her 60 feet with a sacrifice bunt when moved to third on Murphy's third single of the day. After Murphy stole second, Andersen sent her third hit of the day into left to score Rushing, and Herdliska followed with a sacrifice fly to plate Murphy.

Fort Wayne got two back in the bottom of the fifth, but the Jacks responded with a four-run run sixth frame to take back the momentum. Crist walked to start the inning, moved to second on a wild pitch and came around when Baily Janssen singled down the left field line. Rushing followed with another single and both runners moved up 60 feet when Ponce laid down her second sacrifice bunt of the day.

Murphy drew a five-pitch in the next at-bat to load the bases before Andersen's single and a Mastodon error allowed three more runs to cross safely as State went ahead, 9-2.

The Mastodons scored another run in the sixth to make it a six-run game, but McQuistan sent a 3-2 pitch over the left field fence to open the seventh for the Jackrabbits' final run of the day.

Game Two: South Dakota State 5, Fort Wayne 4
The Jackrabbits built an early lead and hung on late to complete the doubleheader sweep, 5-4.

Brittney Morse (2-for-4), Ponce (2-for-3) and Herdliska (1-for-4) all drove in runs for SDSU as Herdliska hit a home run and Ponce and Andersen added doubles.

SDSU took a lead in the top of the first when Herdliska sent her seventh home run of the season over the right center wall for a solo shot, and the Jacks added two more in the second to open a 3-0 lead early.

McQuistan singled to start the second, and after Crist walked came around to score when a throwing error off of Janssen's sacrifice bunt allowed her to race around the bases. Later in the inning with one out and runners on second and third, Ponce took the first pitch she saw to center field to push Crist across.

Fort Wayne scored a run in the third and fourth innings to make it a one-run (3-2) contest, but a Morse RBI-single in the top of the fifth to score Andersen (double) and another SDSU run in the sixth put the Jacks back up three (5-2).

Janssen was hit by a one-out pitch in the sixth inning, and after the Mastodons got the second out saw Ponce hit a double into left field. During the play, Fort Wayne was called for obstructing Janssen's path around the bases and she was awarded home on the umpire's decision.

The insurance run proved vital as Fort Wayne brought it within one (5-4) on a two-run home run in the sixth, but State held off a further charge to complete the doubleheader sweep.

Up Next
South Dakota State and Fort Wayne wrap up the three-game series Sunday at 10 a.m.

-GoJacks.com-