FORT WAYNE, Ind. – South Dakota State completed the series sweep at Fort Wayne Sunday with a dominant 11-2 run-rule victory. 

The Jackrabbits improved to 27-12 on the season and 8-3 in Summit League play while sweeping the Mastodons for the second time in three years.

SDSU had 11 hits as a team, led by two-hit efforts from Ali Herdliska (two RBIs), Brittney Morse (two RBIs), Lyndsey Crist, who had a home run, and Megan Rushing (two runs scored). 

Madison Hope threw all five innings in the win, improving to 16-5 on the season. She scattered five hits in the game and allowed two runs with two strikeouts.

Scoreless through the first, State jumped out to 4-0 lead in the top of the second before the ‘Dons kept things close with two scores in the bottom of the inning.

Baily Janssen started the second with a single and moved to third when Rushing sent a 3-2 pitch to center field for her fifth double of the season. Janssen came home in the next at-bat when a Fort Wayne error allowed Ponce to reach safely, and Murphy followed with an RBI single through the left side to plate Rushing. Later in the inning, with Ponce on third and Murphy second, Herdliska singled down the left field line as both runners dashed home.

Ahead two after two, the Jacks added another five runs in the third to go up 9-2. Crist walked to open the inning, and with one out Rushing singled and Ponce walked to load the bases for Murphy, who hit a sacrifice fly to right. Andersen then reached on a fielding error as Crist scored, and after Herdliska walked to re-load the bases a wild pitch allowed Ponce to scamper home. Morse followed with a single to center on a 2-0 pitch, pushing Andersen and Herdliska across for the fourth and fifth runs of the inning.

State added one more in the fourth to go up 10-2 when Crist worked a 12-pitch at-bat, sending the final pitch over the left field fence for her third long ball of the season.

Already in run-rule territory, the Jacks scored once more in the fifth on a Mallory McQuistan sacrifice fly and closed out the victory by working around a two-out Mastodon runner in the bottom of the inning.

Up Next: South Dakota State is scheduled to host Dakota State Tuesday afternoon in Brookings.

Jackrabbits sweep Fort Wayne

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – South Dakota State swept a doubleheader at Fort Wayne Saturday, taking down the Mastodons 10-3 and 5-4 at Fort Wayne Softball Field.

Game 1

• South Dakota State 10,

Fort Wayne 3

South Dakota State racked up 15 hits and nine walks as a team en route to a 10-3 opening game victory.

Julia Andersen was 4-for-5 in the game with three RBIs, while Abbey Murphy went 3-for-3 with a pair of walks and two runs scored and Megan Rushing was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Ali Herdliska drove in two more runs and Mallory McQuistan hit her fifth home run of the season.

Lyndsey Crist worked three walks in the game and had the other RBI.

Madison Hope (15-5) pitched a complete game, scattering seven hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts.

State jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first, capitalizing on a bases-loaded, two-out walk from Lyndsey Crist. The Jacks added another in the second when Murphy singled with two outs, took second on a Fort Wayne error and raced around to score as Andersen poked a single up the middle.

SDSU’s lead grew to 3-0 in the fourth when Murphy started the inning with another single, moved to second on a ground out and came home when Herdliska sent a 1-0 pitch back up the middle.

Megan Rushing opened the fifth with a single, and after Yanney Ponce moved her 60 feet with a sacrifice bunt when moved to third on Murphy’s third single of the day. After Murphy stole second, Andersen sent her third hit of the day into left to score Rushing, and Herdliska followed with a sacrifice fly to plate Murphy.

Fort Wayne got two back in the bottom of the fifth, but the Jacks responded with a four-run run sixth frame to take back the momentum. Crist walked to start the inning, moved to second on a wild pitch and came around when Baily Janssen singled down the left field line. Rushing followed with another single and both runners moved up 60 feet when Ponce laid down her second sacrifice bunt of the day.

Murphy drew a five-pitch in the next at-bat to load the bases before Andersen’s single and a Mastodon error allowed three more runs to cross safely as State went ahead, 9-2.

The Mastodons scored another run in the sixth to make it a six-run game, but McQuistan sent a 3-2 pitch over the left field fence to open the seventh for the Jackrabbits’ final run of the day.

Game 2

• South Dakota State 5,

Fort Wayne 4

The Jackrabbits built an early lead and hung on late to complete the doubleheader sweep, 5-4.

Brittney Morse (2-for-4), Ponce (2-for-3) and Herdliska (1-for-4) all drove in runs for SDSU as Herdliska hit a home run and Ponce and Andersen added doubles.

SDSU took a lead in the top of the first when Herdliska sent her seventh home run of the season over the right center wall for a solo shot, and the Jacks added two more in the second to open a 3-0 lead early.

McQuistan singled to start the second, and after Crist walked came around to score when a throwing error off of Janssen’s sacrifice bunt allowed her to race around the bases. Later in the inning with one out and runners on second and third, Ponce took the first pitch she saw to center field to push Crist across.

Fort Wayne scored a run in the third and fourth innings to make it a one-run (3-2) contest, but a Morse RBI-single in the top of the fifth to score Andersen (double) and another SDSU run in the sixth put the Jacks back up three (5-2).

Janssen was hit by a one-out pitch in the sixth inning, and after the Mastodons got the second out saw Ponce hit a double into left field. During the play, Fort Wayne was called for obstructing Janssen’s path around the bases and she was awarded home on the umpire’s decision.

The insurance run proved vital as Fort Wayne brought it within one (5-4) on a two-run home run in the sixth, but State held off a further charge to complete the doubleheader sweep.