Jacks split with UND Tuesday

Tuesday, May 1

Brookings, S.D.

3 p.m.

South Dakota State University

32-13

North Dakota

22-25

North Dakota

South Dakota State

Photo by: Laura Mullen

5/1/2018 7:53:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

South Dakota State softball split a Senior Day doubleheader at Jackrabbit Softball Stadium Tuesday to wrap up the regular season, topping North Dakota 8-2 in game one before falling in the second contest, 3-1.

The Jackrabbits have compiled their best mark in Division I history with a 32-14 overall record and remain in the hunt for the Summit League regular season title as the rest of the league concludes play this weekend.

Game One: South Dakota State 8, North Dakota 2
Madison Hope (19-6) picked up the complete game win, scattering seven hits with two runs (one earned) allowed. She struck out four.

Abbey Murphy, Brittney Morse (double) and Megan Rushing (double) each had two hits for the Jacks, and Murphy, Morse and Dana Chavez drove in two runs apiece.

Scoreless through the first, State broke the game open in the second with a six-run inning. Lyndsey Crist (single) and Rushing (double) reached safely to start the inning and came home when Chavez singled through the right side for a pair of RBIs. Baily Janssen was hit by a pitch in the next at-bat, and with one out in the inning Murphy took the first pitch she saw into center field to push Chavez across and move Janssen to third.

Julia Andersen walked to load the bases for Ali Herdliska, who reached on a fielder's choice to bring the fourth run of the inning home. Morse followed by ripping a double to the left center fence, scoring two more to put SDSU ahead, 6-0.

The Jackrabbits tacked on one more in the third, using a one-out ground ball from Murphy to bring Chavez, who walked to start the inning, home from third.

Ahead 7-0, SDSU saw the Fighting Hawks get two back in the top of the fifth before scoring one more of its own in the bottom of the sixth.

Murphy started the sixth inning with a single, and after an Andersen fielder's choice and consecutive singles from Herdliska and Morse the Jacks sat with bases-loaded and one out. Later in the inning, Rushing was hit by a pitch to bring Andersen home from third for the final run of the game.

Game Two: North Dakota 3, South Dakota State 1
Despite taking the loss, Taylor Compton (8-7) tossed a complete game with six shutout innings, scattering four hits and four walks. She allowed three runs and struck out five.

South Dakota State tallied just three hits in the contest, as Andersen hit a double to drive in the lone Jackrabbit run. Murphy drew two walks and Morse and Chavez had the other hits.

UND took the lead with three runs in the top of the second and never gave it back, though State had runners in scoring position in the first and third innings before breaking through in a comeback attempt in the bottom of the seventh.

Down to their last chance, the Jackrabbits saw Murphy work a two-out walk before wheeling around to score when Andersen blasted a double to the right-center gap, but a ground ball ended the rally prematurely.

Up Next
SDSU is idle until the 2018 Summit League Softball Championships in Fargo, North Dakota (May 9-12). The Jackrabbits have secured at least the second-seed, but are in the running for the No. 1 seed and regular season league championship dependent on next weekend's North Dakota State and Western Illinois series.

-GoJacks.com-