Jacks sweep 'Dons on Senior Day

Saturday, April 20

Brookings, S.D.

2 p.m.

South Dakota State University

27-12, 6-5

Purdue Fort Wayne (Senior Day/Junior Jacks Day)

8-31, 3-10

Purdue Fort Wayne

South Dakota State

Photo by: Inertia Sports Media/Dave Eggen

4/20/2019 7:51:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Krista Wood reaches 400 career wins

South Dakota State softball swept Purdue Fort Wayne in a doubleheader Saturday to open the Summit League series, claiming 10-6 and 5-2 victories over the Mastodons in front of 202 fans.

The Jackrabbits improved to 28-12 (7-4 Summit League) with the Senior Day victory, as Julia Andersen, Lyndsey Crist, Ali Herdliska, Baily Janssen, Mallory McQuistan, Erin Mullen, Yanney Ponce, Megan Rushing and Kerigan Torres were honored before the game.

The win was also No. 400 of head coach Krista Wood's career.

Game One: South Dakota State 10, Purdue Fort Wayne 6
Kendra Conard (11-2) started and earned the win, tossing 4.2 innings with five runs and six allowed, striking out three. Taylor Compton pitched the final 2.1 frames and picked up her fifth save of the season, allowing one run on two hits with a strikeout.

The Jackrabbit offense stayed patient over the nearly-three hour game, racking up nine hits with multi-hit performances from Ali Herdliska, Mallory McQuistan and Yanney Ponce.

Herdliska (three hits) drove in two and hit a double and solo home run, McQuistan was 3-for-3 with four RBIs and Ponce drove in two with a pair of singles.

Megan Rushing worked three walks in the win and added a double, while Baily Janssen logged three passes and Lyndsey Crist had two.

The Jacks capitalized on a Purdue Fort Wayne error in the second to strike first and take a 1-0 lead, as Paige Gerdes' ground ball was misplayed with bases loaded, allowing Olivia Pfeifer (who pinch-ran for McQuistan) to come home for the game's opening run.

The Mastodons scored three in the top of the third to put the Jacks in a two-run deficit, but SDSU answered with three runs of its own in the bottom of the inning to go back in front, 4-3. Rushing and Crist started the frame with walks before McQuistan roped a single to left, scoring Rushing before an errant throw allowed Crist to score and McQuistan to move up to third. Later in the inning, Ponce scored McQuistan with single up the middle.

Three more Jackrabbits came around to score in the fourth, as SDSU opened up a 7-3 lead on the Mastodons. Herdliska opening the inning with a double to the right-center gap, and after Rushing walked both runners moved up 60 feet on a passed ball. Purdue Fort Wayne got the first out of the inning on a play at the plate in the next at-bat, but after Crist stole second, McQuistan followed with another RBI single to left, scoring both runners. Ponce followed with her second RBI of the day, driving another ball up the middle to plate McQuistan and cap the rally.

Purdue Fort Wayne kept it close with a two-run top of the fifth, but State again responded with two more runs in the bottom of the inning. After Herdliska blasted a solo shot with two outs, Rushing doubled down the line, and after Crist walked came around to score when McQuistan sent a pitch back up the middle. SDSU loaded the bases soon after, but the Mastodons got out of the jam to keep the Jackrabbits' lead at four, 9-5.

SDSU scored one more off the bat of Herdliska in the sixth, making it 10-5 after Janssen walked, moved to third on a Mastodon error and came home when Herdliska looped a single to left.

PFW scored once more in the top of the seventh with a one-out home run, but Compton and the Jackrabbits shut down further hopes of a rally to start the series with a win.

Game Two: South Dakota State 5, Purdue Fort Wayne 2
Morgan DeMarais started and threw into the third, exiting with a runner on after allowing two runs on six hits with two strikeouts. Emma Hardin (3-1) pitched the final 4.2 innings in scoreless fashion, scattering four hits while striking out four.

Crist blasted two home runs in the win, while Ponce was 2-for-3 with a triple and a pair of runs batted in.

Purdue Fort Wayne built a 2-0 lead in the top of the second behind a pair of hits, but the Jacks answered with a Crist home run and Torres triple (who scored on an error) to draw even.

State put together a two-out rally in the third to take control, 4-2, as Ponce continued her hot play at the plate with a two-RBI double to right after the Jacks loaded the bases with Rushing (single), Crist (walk) and McQuistan (walk).

That score held until bottom of the fifth, when another Crist long ball pushed the Jackrabbits' lead to three (5-2).

Purdue Fort Wayne put runners on in the final two innings, but the Jackrabbit defense came up strong to complete the sweep.

Game Notes

Ali Herdliska now has 11 home runs on the season, tied for fourth-most in a single-season at South Dakota State.
Taylor Compton became the school's all-time leader in career saves (seven) with the game one finish, breaking a tie with Madison Hope.
Krista Wood now has 400 career wins after the doubleheader sweep. She is 130-128 all-time at South Dakota State after going 270-154 over eight years at Wayne State College.
Lyndsey Crist is alone in fourth in the Jackrabbit record books with 22 career home runs.

Up Next
South Dakota State and Purdue Fort Wayne wrap up the series on Sunday at Jackrabbit Softball Stadium. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. as the Jackrabbits look for the sweep.

-GoJacks.com-