CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Jackrabbit softball team split a pair of games Wednesday, starting the day with a dominant 8-0, five-inning victory over Central Michigan before falling late to Loyola-Chicago, 2-1.
SDSU is now 9-6 on the year and has picked three wins this week over spring break.
• South Dakota State 8, Central Michigan 0 (5 innings)
Julia Andersen and Abbey Murphy racked up two hits each, Dana Chavez drove in three and Paige Gerdes added a pair of RBIs as the Jackrabbits started the day with an impressive offensive showing.
Madison Hope (6-1) tossed all five innings in the win, scattering three hits with a pair of strikeouts.
State roared out of the gates, loading the bases in the first inning as Andersen doubled, Murphy singled and Ali Herdliska drew a walk. Brittney Morse was hit by a pitch in the next at-bat to score Andersen and Murphy came home as Mallory McQuistan picked up an RBI. Later in the inning after a Chavez walk, Megan Rushing was also hit by a pitch to score Herdliska and put the Jacks ahead 3-0.
Still up three after three complete frames, the Jacks added another trio of runs behind a three-hit fourth inning. Herdliska and Morse started the inning with back-to-back singles, and after a Baily Janssen walk loaded the bases with one out, Cahvez ripped a triple into right field to empty the bases.
The Jacks put the game in run-rule territory in the top of the fifth, going up 8-0 after A two-out, pinch-hit double from Gerdes scored Herdliska (walk) and Morse (fielder’s choice).
Looking to end the matchup early, Hope worked around a one-out baserunner and finished the game with a groundout and fly out.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 8, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 0
SD STATE 300 32 – 8 9 0
C. MICH 000 00 – 0 3 1
Madison Hope and Mallory McQuistan; Samantha Howell, Hanna Warren (1), Taylor Weaver (5) and Maison Kalina. W – Hope (6-1). L – Howell (2-1). 2B: SDSU, Julia Anderson, Paige Gerdes. 3B: SDSU, Dana Chavez.
• Loyola-Chicago 2, South Dakota State 1
South Dakota State battled with Loyola-Chicago for six scoreless innings, but after scoring a run in the top of the seventh saw the Ramblers push two across in the bottom of the inning as the Jackrabbits fell, 2-1.
Taylor Compton (4-5) threw 6.2 innings in the loss, allowing two runs with three strikeouts.
Andersen, Murphy, Morse, Gerdes and Chavez had hits in the game, as Murphy drove in SDSU’s lone run.
State threatened with runners in the third and sixth innings, but did not break through the scoring column until the seventh. With one out and runners on first and second, Andersen singled to right to load the bases after Rushing was hit by a pitch and Ponce reached on a fielder’s choice, Murphy brought a runner home with a sacrifice fly to center.
Carrying a 1-0 lead into the final half-inning, the Jackrabbits were dealt a heartbreaking defeat when LUC came through with a two-out single with a pair of runners in scoring position to walk off with a 2-1 victory.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 8, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 0
SD STATE 000 000 1 – 1 5 0
UL-CHIC 000 000 2 – 2 5 1
Taylor Compton and Mallory McQuistan; Kiley Jones and Katie Kasubke. W – Jones (7-2). L – Compton (3-5). 3B: ULC, Brooke Wilson.
Up Next: South Dakota State remains in Clearwater, Fla., through the weekend at the USF-Under Armour Showcase. Play resumes Friday against Seton Hall (1 p.m.) and Bethune-Cookman (3:15 p.m.).
Photo from www.gojacks.com.
