SDSU splits Thursday; Friday's finale postponed

Thursday, April 5

Omaha, Neb. (Skutt Catholic HS)

Noon

South Dakota State University

22-10, 3-1

South Dakota

13-25, 3-4

South Dakota

South Dakota State

Photo by: Laura Mullen

4/5/2018 4:22:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

OMAHA, Neb. – South Dakota State and South Dakota split a doubleheader at V.J. & Angela Skutt Catholic High School Thursday, with the Jackrabbits claiming game one 5-4 before falling in the finale, 7-0.

South Dakota State is now 22-11 on the season and 3-2 in Summit League play.

Game One: South Dakota State 5, South Dakota 4
Madison Hope (13-4) pitched a complete game in the win, striking out eight while scattering eight hits and three walks, allowing four runs.

Abbey Murphy was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two runs while Julia Andersen and Brittney Morse each went 2-for-3. Morse had three RBIs in the game, Murphy and Lyndsey Crist drove in the other Jackrabbit runs and Yanney Ponce added a double.

State jumped out to a 2-0 lead early, using a leadoff double from Murphy to catalyze the offense from the get-go. After Murphy's two-bagger, Andersen put runners on the corners with a single before swiping second. With one gone, Murphy came home on a Morse ground ball, and in the next at-bat Lyndsey Crist ripped a single through the left side to plate Andersen.

USD responded to tie it with a two-run home run in the second, but State struck back with a pair of its own in the third. Murphy and Andersen opened the inning with consecutive singles, and after a fly ball allowed Murphy to take third Morse cleared the bases with a single to the right-center gap.

Another two-run long ball for the 'Yotes re-tied it, 4-4, in the fourth, but SDSU took control for good after back-to-back doubles from Ponce and Andersen opened the bottom of the inning.

USD threatened with runners in each of the final three innings, but the Jackrabbit defense held firm to close the win.

Game Two: South Dakota 7, South Dakota State 0
Olivia Douglas (1-1) took the loss, starting and throwing four innings. She allowed five runs on seven hits and struck out two. Kendra Conard pitched the final three frames and gave up two runs (one earned) on six hits.

Andersen, Morse, Crist and Erin Mullen had hits for the Jackrabbits.

State put runners on in the first, second, fourth and seventh innings but could not push runs across to cut into the deficit. SDSU's best scoring chance came in the fourth when Andersen and Herdliska reached safely to start the inning, but with one out Crist's hard liner ricocheted off the pitcher towards the feet of USD's third baseman, who capitalized on the lucky bounce to keep a run off the board.

Up Next
Friday's finale has been postponed due to forecasted winter weather. Teams are working to finish the series this weekend at a date and time to-be-determined.

-GoJacks.com-