TOURNEY SHOWING ENDS AFTER EXTRA-INNING LOSSES

Friday, May 9

Brookings, S.D.

1 p.m.

South Dakota State University

29-25

Omaha

38-10

South Dakota State

Omaha

Emma Christensen

Photo by: Dave Eggen/Inertia

5/9/2025 9:01:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Andrew Pedersen

BROOKINGS, S.D. – South Dakota State played in two highly contested games in the 2025 Summit League Softball Championship on Friday, May 9, at Jerald T. Moriarty Field. The Jackrabbits ended up on the wrong end of the score margin in the pair of affairs. SDSU dropped an 8-6 decision in nine innings to Omaha, then saw its tournament appearance end with a 3-2 loss to South Dakota in eight innings.

Game One
South Dakota State produced a season-high 17 hits as a team off Summit League Pitcher of the Year Maddia Groff, but it wasn't enough as the Mavericks hit a two-run home run in walk-off fashion to advance to the conference championship game.

The Jacks got out to a 3-0 lead after two innings of action. Starting pitcher Sylvia Shromoff kept the Mavs off the board for three innings, but registered three runs on four hits and benefitted from an SDSU runner as they tied the score at 3-3 in the fourth.

SDSU went back ahead 4-3 in the fifth on an RBI single by Emma Christensen. The Jacks held on to that advantage through the fifth and sixth innings behind the arm of reliever Tayler Baker.

The Jackrabbits added two runs to their tally in the top of the seventh. Alli Boyle hit a one-out single and was scored on an RBI double by Christensen to make it 5-3. A squeeze bunt play by Akayla Barnard proved to be successful for SDSU as Christensen slid home and Barnard reached safely to give SDSU a 6-3 edge.

A walk to open the bottom of the seventh followed by three consecutive hits tied the score at 6-6. Omaha had the winning run on third base with one out, however Baker was able to get the Mavs to hit a ground out and strikeout to get out of the jam.

SDSU got a runner to third in the eighth but left senior Mia Jarecki stranded there. The rest of the frame was quiet, as well as the top of the ninth for the Jackrabbit lineup, leading into the bottom of the frame. Omaha's Sydney Thomason hit a lead lead-off single to begin the inning. She was followed by Katherine Johnson who provided the fireworks as she hit the first pitch she saw over the right-field fence to end it in favor of the Mavericks, 8-6.

The Jackrabbits picked up the most hits against Omaha's Groff all season by nearly double her previous high of nine, but the Maverick pitcher battled her way to a win. She improved to 25-4 on the season in the circle. Johnson went 4-for-4 at the plate for Omaha with three RBIs.

Four Jacks had three-plus hits in Barnard (4), Christensen (3), Jarecki (3) and Brooke Dumont (3). Christensen had two RBIs and two runs scored. Baker fell to 10-6 on the season as she gave up five runs in five innings of work.

Game Two
The loss to the Mavericks forced the Jackrabbits into an elimination game against South Dakota.

SDSU got into an early hole as the Coyotes scored one run in the second and had a bases loaded opportunity. Fortunately, SDSU worked through the jam with a ground out to prevent further damage.

The Jackrabbit lineup struggled to muster any production against South Dakota starter Clara Edwards. Singles by Emma Vike and Madi Conklin, along with Quinn Marnocha hitting a double for her first-career hit, were all SDSU put together in the opening five innings.

SDSU had a rally in the sixth inning. Vike began the inning with a single and Dumont followed with a walk. Two Jackrabbits eventually had runners at first and third base with two outs. Christensen hit a liner back at Edwards who scrambled to field the ball. Her resulting throw went over the first baseman's head, allowing two Jacks to reach home and give State a 2-1 edge.

The Jacks began the inning briefly with Amanda Vacanti in the circle. The freshman had pitched two shutout innings of relief, but had to be substituted out following two pitches due to injury. Following the change, South Dakota's Abi Brown hit a solo home run to tie the score at 2-2.

A 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh inning led to the eighth. South Dakota's Madison Evans hit a one-out double and she was plated on an RBI single by Rylee Jones to make it 3-2 in favor of the Yotes.

SDSU put together a final comeback attempt. Abby Gentry and Boyle each hit two-out singles to put two Jackrabbits on base. A Christensen ground out ended the threat and advanced South Dakota to the Summit League title game.

NOTES

The tournament finale for the Jackrabbits served as the career finales for Madi Conklin, Brooke Dumont, Mia Jarecki and Caitlyn Wells.
Dumont and Jarecki's four-year careers in Yellow and Blue saw them finish among several of the best in multiple categories in program history. Dumont finished her career with 33 runners caught stealing from the catcher postion, a program record. Jarecki ended her career with a program-best 154 runs scored.
Sophomore third baseman and Summit League Player of the Year Abby Gentry finished the year with several stellar marks. Her .427 batting average set the program's best individual mark during its Division I era topping Jocelyn Carrillo's .418 average in 2021. Her .503 on-base percentage is the second-best single-season mark ever by a Jackrabbit, while she now has the third-best ever marks in a single season in RBIs (56) and hits (70).
Dumont's on-base percentage of .515 set a new program record. The previous best was .500 by Abbey Murphy set in 2018. Dumont's 42 walks this season are the second most all-time trailing only Alli Herdliska's 45 in 2019.