JACKRABBITS DROP PAIR IN TULSA

Friday, February 27

Tulsa, Okla.

12 p.m.

South Dakota State University

12-5

Tulsa

6-9

South Dakota State

Tulsa

A woman in a white softball uniform winds up to throw a pitch with the ball in her right hand towards home plate

Akayla Barnard

Photo by: Mario Terrana

2/27/2026 4:39:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Andrew Pedersen

TULSA, Okla. – The South Dakota State softball team fell in a doubleheader on Friday at the OSU/Tulsa Invitational. The Jackrabbits dropped an eight-inning meeting to host Tulsa 4-3, then lost 8-1 to No. 4-ranked Nebraska at the Collins Family Softball Complex.

Game One
SDSU and Tulsa battled to extras before the host Golden Hurricane walked off in the bottom of the eighth with a 4-3 win.

Tulsa held a 1-0 lead through two innings before the Jackrabbits struck back in the top of the third. SDSU produced back-to-back solo home runs off the bats of Akayla Barnard and Amanda Vacanti to jump ahead, 2-1.

Barnard, also the starting pitcher in the game, kept the home side off the scoreboard for four straight innings. Two of those frames came in 1-2-3 putouts as the two foes went into the sixth with a 2-1 score.

An inning-opening double in the bottom of the sixth eventually saw Tulsa's Amber Turner plated on a sacrifice fly to tie the score at 2-2. Both teams scored a run in the seventh. SDSU's Alivya Bollen led the top of the frame off with a double. Her pinch runner, Keira Carrillo, scored on an RBI fielder's choice by Emma Vike. Tulsa tied the score in the bottom of the inning with a one-out RBI single.

Extra innings began in the top of the eighth with SDSU leaving one runner on base. Tulsa took advantage of an inning-opening error in the bottom of the frame. Claira Skaggs followed with a bunt single as the Golden Hurricane put two runners on base with no outs. After a sacrifice bunt and walk, Tulsa had the bases loaded with one out. A full-count walk pushed the game-winning run across home and handed the Golden Hurricane the extra-innings victory.

SDSU put together seven hits in the game as Ella Berlage produced two of them. Barnard threw seven innings and allowed three runs on eight hits. Madi Mangulis pitched the eighth in relief and was credited with the loss. The one run she gave up was unearned.

Game Two
Nationally-ranked Nebraska scored seven runs in the fourth inning on its way to a 8-1 victory over South Dakota State.

SDSU starter Hailey Herman kept the Huskers off the board over the course of the first two innings. The Huskers scored on a wild pitch in the third as they led 1-0 through three innings.

They broke the game open in the fourth. Rated among the top eight teams across all four of the major Division I softball rankings, Nebraska put together six hits – with two being home runs – en route to its seven runs plated in the inning.

Nebraska starter Hannah Camenzind was stellar in the circle through three innings. She kept the Jacks hitless and put SDSU down in order.

SDSU picked up a run in the bottom of the fourth. Barnard hit a one-out triple and she was plated on an RBI single by Vacanti.

The Jackrabbits extended the game thanks to a strong relief outing from Tayler Baker. She pitched 3 1/3 innings and didn't allow a run while giving up three hits.

Camenzind, who led Nebraska with a 1.15 ERA coming into the game, improved to 4-0 in the Huskers' win. Herman was credited with the loss as she dropped to 3-1.

South Dakota State now stands at 12-6 following Friday's games.

UP NEXT
South Dakota State continues action at the OSU/Tulsa Invitational on Saturday. The Jackrabbits take on SEMO (11 a.m.) and Tulsa (1:30 p.m.) at the Golden Hurricane's Collins Family Softball Complex.

-GoJacks.com-