Jackrabbits, Coyotes split softball doubleheader

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OMAHA, Neb. – South Dakota State and South Dakota split a Summit League softball doubleheader at V.J. & Angela Scutt Catholic High School on Thursday, with the Jackrabbits claiming Game 1 by a 5-4 margin and the Coyotes winning the finale 7-0.

SDSU is now 22-11 (3-2) and USD is 14-26 (4-4).

Game 1

 SDSU 5, USD 4

Madison Hope (13-4) pitched a complete game in the win, striking out eight while scat-tering eight hits and three walks and allowing four runs.

Abbey Murphy was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two runs while Julia Andersen and Brittney Morse each went 2-for-3. Morse had three RBIs in the game, Murphy and Lyndsey Crist drove in the other Jackrabbit runs and Yanney Ponce added a double.

SDSU jumped out to a 2-0 lead early, using a leadoff double from Murphy to catalyze the offense from the get-go. After Murphy’s two-bagger, Andersen put runners on the corners with a single before swiping second. With one gone, Murphy came home on a Morse ground ball, and in the next at-bat Lyndsey Crist ripped a single through the left side to plate Andersen.

USD pulled event in the top of the second on Lauren Eamiguel’s two-run homer, but the Jackrabbits struck back with a pair runs of their own in the third.

Murphy and Andersen opened the inning with consecutive singles and after a fly ball allowed Murphy to take third, Morse cleared the bases with a single to the right-center gap.

Eamiguel’s second two-run homer made it 4-4 in the fourth.

SDSU took control for good after back-to-back doubles from Ponce and Andersen opened the bottom of the fourth.

USD threatened with runners in each of the final three innings, but the Jackrabbit de-fense held firm to close the win.

Game 2

 USD 7, SDSU 0

Dustie Durham tossed a four-hit shutout and also went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs at the plate to lead the Coyotes.

Jessica Rogers finished 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Jamie Holscher scored three times.

Olivia Douglas (1-1) took the loss in the circle, starting and throwing four innings. She allowed five runs on seven hits and struck out two. Kendra Conard pitched the final three frames and gave up two runs (one earned) on six hits.

USD put up three runs in the first and added single runs in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

Andersen, Morse, Crist and Erin Mullen had hits for the Jackrabbits.

SDSU put runners on in the first, second, fourth and seventh innings but could not push runs across to cut into the deficit. SDSU’s best scoring chance came in the fourth when Andersen and Herdliska reached safely to start the inning, but with one out Crist’s hard liner ricocheted off the pitcher towards the feet of USD’s third baseman, who capitalized to keep a run off the board.

Up Next

Friday’s series finale was postponed due to forecasted winter weather. The teams are working to finish the series this weekend at a date and time to be determined.

Photo from www.gojacks.com.