The South Dakota State softball team went 1-2 in a three-game series against Omaha over the weekend but the Jackrabbits won the Summit League regular season championship with the one victory.
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OMAHA — The South Dakota State softball team went 1-2 in a three-game series against Omaha over the weekend but the Jackrabbits won the Summit League regular season championship with the one victory.
It was the final series of the regular season for the Jacks and they finished 31-20 overall and 14-2 in the Summit League. SDSU will host the conference tournament, which begins on Wednesday in Brookings. The Jacks are the No. 1 seed and will play the winner of South Dakota and North Dakota on Thursday at 11 a.m.
The Mavericks did just enough at the plate, to go along with a commanding performance in the circle by starter Kameryn Meyer, to earn a 2-0 win over the Jackrabbits. The win put an end to
SDSU’s undefeated stretch in Summit League play in 2024 as well as snapped the Jackrabbit program’s 46-game winning streak in conference action during the regular season.
Neither team could get momentum against the game one starters as Meyer and SDSU’s Tori Kniesche kept things in check through two innings.
The Jackrabbits’ best opportunity came in the top of the third. Madi Conklin drew a walk, Cheyanne Masterson was hit by a pitch and Mia Jareck walked to load the bases with one out. However, Meyer was able to get a strikeout and groundout to end the threat.
The Mavericks had a chance in the third by getting a walk and two hit by pitches to also load the bases. Kniesche got out of the jam with a strikeout to keep the meeting scoreless through three innings.
SDSU’s Jocelyn Carrillo picked up the Jacks’ first hit in the fourth, but she’d be left stranded. Omaha finally struck in the bottom of the frame. After loading the bases via three walks drawn, a two-run single by Lynsey Tucker put the Mavs ahead 2-0.
The Jacks wouldn’t be able to put anything together at the plate to pose a threat over the final three innings. Rozelyn Carrillo produced a two-out single in the sixth, but she’d be left on base.
Meyer pitched a complete-game shutout for the Mavs. She improved to 22-3 on the season as she struck out six batters, walked two and gave up two hits. Kniesche fell to 15-6 as she threw four innings. The Jackrabbit starter struck out six, but gave up two runs on two hits and six walks. Alexa Williams came in and threw two shutout innings for SDSU.
South Dakota State rallied from a two-run deficit to overcome the Mavericks to cap the doubleheader with a 6-4 victory.
The Jackrabbits struck first in the second inning. Alli Boyle hit a two-run single to put SDSU into the lead at 2-0. The Mavs responded by picking up a run on an RBI double against Jackrabbit starter Shannon Lasey to make it 2-1 through two innings.
The score remained heading into the bottom of the fourth. Omaha used three hits and two walks to jump ahead of SDSU by a 4-2 margin in the inning. Freshman Akayla Barnard came in to pitch with two outs and retired the lone batter she faced in the frame to send the game to the fifth.
SDSU tied the score at 4-4 quickly in the top half of the frame. Masterson drew a walk, Jarecki singled, and the two advanced to second and third on a wild pitch during Emma Osmundson’s at-bat. Osmundson smacked a two-run double to left-center field to tie the score, then after a two-strikeout inning by Barnard in the circle, the two sides remained square heading to the sixth.
Jocelyn Carrillo and Madi Conklin both drew walks as the two stood on base with two outs in the top of the frame. Jarecki came to the plate and hit a two-run triple down the right-field line to put the Jacks on top, 6-4.
That gave Barnard some breathing room. She allowed just a hit in the sixth and was back in the circle for the seventh. The Mavs led the inning off with a walk, but a flyout had Omaha up with a runner on first base with one out. A line drive straight back to Barnard was ensuingly snagged by the pitcher who threw over to first base for the game-ending double play.
Both teams recorded six hits in the game. Jarecki and Osmundson had two hits apiece for the Jackrabbits while six players scored runs. Barnard improved to 5-2 on the season in her first appearance pitching since March 16. She worked 3 1/3 innings and gave up just one hit. Barnard struck out three batters and walked one.
South Dakota State completed its final game before postseason play on Saturday dropping a 7-4 decision to Omaha at Connie Claussen Field.
The Jackrabbits and Mavericks had already sealed the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the upcoming Summit League Softball Championship, respectively, heading into the meeting. The Mavs took advantage early by scoring three runs off SDSU starter Shannon Lasey in the first.
Brooke Dumont led off the second for the Jacks with a single. Jocelyn Carrillo followed by hitting a two-run home run over the center-field fence to cut the score to 3-2.
The Mavericks pushed ahead further in the bottom of the frame. Alexa Williams came in for relief for the Jackrabbits, but Omaha produced four runs on three hits and three walks to give the home side a 7-2 edge through two innings.
Carrillo and Alli Boyle each hit RBI singles for the Jacks in the top of the third to make it a 7-4 margin. That would be it for scoring for both teams.
SDSU freshman Hailey Herman made her first appearance in the circle since March and had a strong outing. She kept the Jackrabbits in striking distance by throwing 4 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Herman allowed just one hit and walked two, while she struck out three batters.
The Jacks had their best opportunity to rally in the sixth. Tori Tollefson drew a walk, Mia Jarecki singled and Lindsey Culver walked to load the bases with two outs. Omaha was able to get a pop up to escape the jam.
South Dakota State outhit Omaha in the game as the Jacks recorded nine hits to the Mavericks’ six. Boyle and Jarecki had two hits apiece, while Brooke Dumont had a 3-for-3 day at the plate with two runs scored. Jocelyn Carrillo had three RBIs. Lasey fell to 10-9 on the season in the circle.
