CULVER HOMERS TWICE, JACKS SPLIT OPENING DAY

Friday, February 23

Conway, Ark.

1 p.m.

South Dakota State University

6-5

Purdue

5-3

South Dakota State

Purdue

Lindsey Culver

Photo by: Josh Gateley

2/23/2024 9:15:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Andrew Pedersen

CONWAY, Ark. — Senior outfielder Lindsey Culver hit home runs in back-to-back games, while South Dakota State had consecutive solid pitching showings, as the Jackrabbits began play at the Michelle Short Memorial Classic on Friday at Central Arkansas' Farris Field. The Jacks got the day started with a 5-1 victory over Purdue, then fell 4-3 in the night-cap to Southern Illinois on a walk-off home run.

Game One (vs. Purdue)
SDSU received a commanding performance from starting pitcher Tori Kniesche en route to a 5-1 win over the Boilermakers.

Kniesche put the Purdue lineup down in order through three innings and recorded seven strikeouts. It took the Boilermakers until the fourth inning to tally their first hit and didn't get on the scoreboard until the sixth.

South Dakota State had a 2-0 edge after three innings of play. Abby Gentry hit a triple in the second and was plated on a sacrifice fly by Cheyanne Masterson, then in the third Mia Jarecki hit a lead-off triple and was brought in by a sacrifice fly off the bat of Akayla Barnard.

The Jackrabbits pushed the score to 3-0 in the top of the sixth as Culver hit a solo home run. Purdue responded in the bottom half of the inning with its first run as a lead-off triple was plated on a sacrifice fly.

Senior outfielder Emma Osmundson added insurance to the Jackrabbit scoreline in the seventh. Jarecki hit a two-out single and Barnard followed with a walk. Osmundson hit both runners in on a two-run double to left-center field to make it a 5-1 score.

Kniesche got into a bit of damage in the seventh hitting a batter with a pitch and giving up a single. However, the senior pitcher struck out two hitters and forced an infield popup to finish the contest with a complete-game performance.

SDSU outhit Purdue 8-3 in the ballgame. Jarecki and Osmundson each had two hits for the Jackrabbits, while Jarecki scored two runs. Kniesche improved to 3-3 on the season in the circle. She gave up just three hits over the course of three innings. Two batters reached base via hit by pitch, but Kniesche matched her season-high strikeout total of 13 in a single game.

Game Two (vs. Southern Illinois)
The Jackrabbits lost in heart-breaking fashion falling in the bottom of the seventh by a 4-3 margin.

The first inning was an eventful one as SDSU came out of it with a 3-2 advantage. With one out in the top of the first, Barnard made her way all the around the diamond due to a fielding and ensuing throwing error. Osmundson followed her with a single and Culver came up next and belted her second home run of the day.

SDSU starter Shannon Lasey gave up just two infield hits to begin the bottom of the inning, but the runners eventually came around to score on a two-run single to make it 3-2.

The Jackrabbit lineup was held to just one over the next six innings, putting pressure on the SDSU pitching staff. Lasey held up by stranding two runners on base in the second, getting a double play turned behind her in the third and leaving a runner on while striking out two in the fourth.

Following a lead-off double in the bottom of the fifth, SDSU went to the bullpen and reliever Alexa Williams. She got out of the inning by stranding a runner on third as the Jackrabbits remained in front.

Williams didn't give up a hit in the sixth which led to the seventh. Following a one-out single, the SDSU infield got a fielder's choice to get the second out of the frame. The Salukis' Rylie Hamilton came up to bat. Eventually with a runner in scoring position, Hamilton hit a 2-2 pitch over the left-field fence to lead Southern Illinois to a walk-off victory.

SDSU was outhit 6-3 in the game while both teams had two errors. Osmundson had two of the Jackrabbits' base hits along with Culver's homer which was her second of the season. Lasey went 4-plus innings in the circle for the Jackrabbits and gave up two runs on four hits. She walked four and struck out three. Williams, who was credited with the loss, pitched 2 2/3 innings and allowed two runs on two hits.

Up Next
South Dakota State continues play at the Michelle Short Memorial Classic on Saturday. The Jackrabbits begin the day by facing host Central Arkansas at 11 a.m. That game will be streamed on ESPN+. The Jacks then have a rematch against Purdue directly following the contest at approximately 1:30 pm.

-GoJacks.com-