DeMarais tosses no-hitter as Jacks win twice

Sunday, March 8

Madeira, Fla. (Field 2)

8 a.m.

South Dakota State University

12-7

Merrimack

2-8

South Dakota State

Merrimack

SIOUX FALLS, SD - APRIL 7: xxxxxxx (Photo by Dave Eggen/Inertia)

Photo by: Inertia Sports Media/Dave Eggen

3/8/2020 12:27:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

MADEIRA, Fla. -- Morgan DeMarais tossed a no-hitter and South Dakota State hit five home runs over two shutout victories Sunday. The Jackrabbit softball team opened the day with a 12-0 run-rule victory over Merrimack before taking down Ohio, 2-0.

SDSU is now 13-7 on the season and has posted a 5-1 record through the first half of its stay at THE 2020 Spring Games.

South Dakota State 12, Merrimack 0 (5 inn.)
Morgan DeMarais (1-2) earned the win in historic fashion, tossing the first no-hitter of SDSU's Division I era. DeMarais struck out seven and did not walk a batter while facing just three over the minimum.

Cylie Halvorson (2-for-2) drove in five with a pair of doubles, Lindsey Culver blasted two home runs and Kelsey Lenox tallied three RBIs with a double and a two-run home run.

Paige Gerdes homered as well as seven Jackrabbits combined for 11 hits.

SDSU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Kelsey Lenox laced an RBI double to the right-center gap. Halvorson, who was hit by a pitch in the previous at-bat, scored on the play.

Culver opened the second with a solo shot to left, and later in the inning, two more Jackrabbits came home when Halvorson roped a double down the left-field line. Lenox followed with a two-run shot to centerfield, and the Jacks pushed their advantage to 6-0.

Culver made it 7-0 in the third with her second solo shot of the game, and after the Jackrabbits loaded the bases with Allison Yoder (walk), Peyton Daugherty (single) and Olivia Pfeifer (error), Halvorson brought three more runs in as she doubled to right. Two batters later, State's lead hit 11-0 as Mia Elliott dropped an RBI single to right.

Gerdes' solo shot in the fourth pushed the lead to 12-0, and the Jacks kept Merrimack off the board the rest of the way to secure the run-rule victory.

South Dakota State 2, Ohio 0
Grace Glanzer picked up her 10th win of the season with a shutout, scattering five hits while striking out seven Bobcats.

Culver stayed hot in game two of the day, posting a 2-for-2 effort at the plate with a two-run home run. Gerdes, Halvorson, Allison Beaudry and Yoder also had singles for the Jackrabbits.

After getting out of a jam in the top of the fourth after Ohio put runners on second and third, the Jackrabbits broke through in the bottom of the frame off the bat of Culver to take a 2-0 lead. Halvorson singled to start the inning, and with two outs Culver launched a ball in two-run fashion over the center-field fence.

State threatened for more in the fifth after loading the bases with one out, but the Bobcats got out of the jam unscathed to stay within striking distance.

Glanzer and the Jackrabbit defense locked down the rest of the way, though, and secured their fourth consecutive win.

Game Notes

South Dakota State is 1-0 against Merrimack and Ohio.
The Jackrabbits tallied double-digit runs for the third time this season.
The last Jackrabbit to throw a no-hitter was Meggan Staton on March 6, 2003 against Lynn.
Lindsey Culver became the first Jackrabbit to hit two home runs in a game since Lyndsey Crist did it April 20, 2019 against Purdue Fort Wayne.
SDSU has scored three or more runs in an inning 17 times.
Grace Glanzer moved back into a tie for first place in the Summit League with 10 wins.