JACKRABBITS EARN PAIR OF WINS ON OPENING DAY

Friday, February 7

Commerce, Texas

11:30 a.m.

South Dakota State University

1-0

Stephen F. Austin

1-1

South Dakota State

SFA

Abby Gentry

Photo by: Aiden Pelphrey

2/7/2025 9:29:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Andrew Pedersen

COMMERCE, Texas — South Dakota State reeled off a pair of victories on its opening day of the 2025 season at the East Texas A&M Leadoff tournament. The Jackrabbits began Friday with a 9-4 win over Stephen F. Austin, then defeated the host Lions 9-0 in six innings by run rule.

Game One
SDSU scored the first five runs of the game – with four home runs serving as a majority of the Jackrabbits' production at the plate – and never looked back in its win over the Lumberjacks.

Abby Gentry crushed a two-run home run in the top of the first to get South Dakota State in front early. Akayla Barnard, who served as the Jackrabbits' starting pitcher, followed with a two-run blast of her own in the second. Alivya Bollen went around the bases on a solo home run of her own to lift the Jacks into a 5-0 advantage through the first four innings of action.

The home runs for Gentry and Bollen were the first of their collegiate careers, while Barnard had her second.

Barnard pitched a strong opening four innings for SDSU. She allowed three hits, but didn't allow a run as she kept the Lumberjacks off the board. An RBI triple and RBI single for Stephen F. Austin in the fifth inning cut into the Jackrabbit lead at 5-2.

The top of the sixth saw the Jackrabbits put the game out of reach. Emma Vike hit a three-run home run, the first of her career, and Brooke Dumont eventually followed with an RBI single to make it 9-2.

A two-run home to begin the bottom of the frame chased Barnard from the proceedings. Hailey Herman came on in relief and pitched two shutout innings. She allowed two hits, but didn't give up a walk and struck out two batters.

Barnard earned her first win of the season. She threw five-plus innings allowing seven hits and four runs. Barnard struck out seven batters and walked two.

Jarecki and Emma Christensen led SDSU with two hits apiece. Jarecki scored three runs while six others crossed home plate.

Game Two
The Jackrabbits used a five-run fifth inning to pull away from East Texas A&M for a 9-0 win.

South Dakota State had plenty of opportunities to strike early. The Jackrabbits left seven runners on base in the opening three innings, including a bases loaded chance in the third, but were unable to come up with a run.

SDSU freshman pitcher Tayler Baker was stellar in her collegiate debut. She allowed just one hit in the opening four innings while nine of the first 12 outs she recorded came via strikeout.

The fifth inning finally saw a breakthrough by the Jackrabbits. After an inning-opening out, Dumont hit a solo home run to give SDSU an initial 1-0 edge. Consecutive walks by Madi Conklin, Bollen and Alli Boyle loaded the bases for the Jacks. Three RBI singles from Christensen, Jarecki and Barnard highlighted the frame for South Dakota State. Gentry also had an RBI on a walk as SDSU went to the bottom of the frame up 7-0.

East Texas A&M's best opportunity at the plate came next. Two singles in the fifth eventually led to the Lions putting runners on second and third with one out. Baker forced a groundout back to her, which she threw home and the runner was tagged out before reaching the plate. She escaped the inning with a line out to the shortstop.

Claire Wynja walked as a pinch runner and came around to score on an RBI double by Caitlyn Wells. Amanda Vacanti singled, then Jarecki hit an RBI single to extend SDSU's lead to 9-0. The hit for Wells was her first as a Jackrabbit while Vacanti's was the first of her college career.

Madi Mangulis made her Yellow and Blue debut in the circle in the sixth. She struck out two batters while she got out of the inning, and closed out the game, on a diving catch on a fly out to right field by Alissa Wernz.

SDSU's Baker picked up her first win of her college career. She threw five shutout innings. Baker struck out nine and walked just two, while she allowed three hits.

Jarecki had a team-high three hits and two RBIs for the Jackrabbits. Christensen had two hits and scored two runs.

NOTES

Several Jackrabbits made their collegiate debuts on Friday. In the opening game the contingent included Alissa Wernz, Quinn Marnocha, Addison Blomberg and Lila McNeill. The second game featured Kendall Daniel, Claire Wynja, Tayler Baker and Amanda Vacanti.
Multiple newcomers also scored runs for the first time. That included Blomberg in game one, as well as Marnocha, Wernz and Wynja in game two.
The opening day of softball saw SDSU's Jarecki lead SDSU by going 5-for-7 (.714) at the plate. She was followed by Christensen (.571) and Bollen (.500).

UP NEXT
The Jackrabbits are scheduled to participate in two more games on Saturday. SDSU faces Stephen F. Austin again at 9 a.m., then take on Texas Southern at 2 p.m.

-GoJacks.com-