SDSU softball closes weekend with Sunday split

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KANSAS CITY – South Dakota State wrapped up its weekend stay at the Urban Youth Academy with another split Sunday, dropping a narrow 1-0 loss to Creighton before bouncing back in the finale, taking down UMKC in extra innings, 10-8.

The Jacks, 21-7 overall, went 2-2 at the event and now turn their attention to league play.

• Creighton 1, SDSU 0

Olivia Douglas (2-1) took the loss in a tightly-contested pitcher’s duel. The sophomore threw all six innings, scattering five hits and a walk with one run allowed, striking out one.

Peyton Daugherty logged the Jacks’ lone hit of the day, but SDSU worked a pair of walks to set up scoring threats in the sixth and seventh innings. State, however, could not pull off the weekend sweep over the Bluejays.

Scoreless through 5 2/3 innings, Creighton struck for its only run of the morning contest with back-to-back extra base hits in the bottom of the sixth, then worked around an SDSU runner in scoring position in the seventh to hold off the Jackrabbit rally.

• SDSU 10, UMKC 8

(8 innings)

Kendra Conard started and threw into the third, exiting after allowing four runs (three earned) with a pair of strikeouts. Emma Hardin tossed the next 3.1 innings, giving up four runs with a strikeout. Taylor Compton (5-3) earned the win while finishing the game, not allowing a runner over the final 2 2/3 innings while logging a strikeout.

Seven Jacks racked up hits in the game, with Baily Janssen turning in a 2-for-4 performance at the plate.

Lyndsey Crist drove in three runs and recorded a triple, while Daugherty, Julia Andersen, Ali Herdliska and Kerigan Torres added an RBI apiece.

UMKC built a 3-0 lead through the first two innings, but the Jacks rallied for six in the top of the third to turn the tide and go ahead three.

After a fielder’s choice and a Kangaroo error left Janssen and Kerigan Torres on second and first, respectively, with one out, Daugherty poked a single into center to plate the first SDSU run of the day. Andersen and Herdliska kept the offense rolling with back-to-back RBI singles to tie it, and after Megan Rushing drew a two-out walk, Crist emptied the bases with a three-run triple.

The ‘Roos got one back in the bottom of the inning, but the Jacks struck for two more in the fourth to build an 8-4 lead. Janssen started the inning with a single, and with one out moved to second as Daugherty reached safely. A fielder’s choice during Andersen’s at-bat left the Jacks with runners on first and second with two outs, before two wild pitches in the inning allowed both runners to wheel around and score.

That four-run gap held until UMKC put together a big inning of its own in the sixth, pulling even once again with the Jacks, 8-8. A scoreless seventh frame sent the teams to extra innings, where SDSU capitalized on the international tie-breaker start to score the eventual game-winner and an insurance run.

Crist started the inning on second, moving up to third when Yanney Ponce reached on another UMKC error. Crist was tagged out on a fielder’s choice off of Janssen’s ground ball, but heads-up baserunning by Ponce and Janssen on the play left SDSU with two runners in scoring position and one gone. Another ground ball set UMKC up for the second out of the inning, but an error at the plate allowed both Janssen and Ponce to come home.

Ahead two in the bottom of the eighth, the Jacks induced a pop up, caught a Kangaroo stealing third and sealed the win with a Compton strikeout.

Up Next – The Jackrabbit softball team begins Summit League play next weekend at Omaha, Neb. SDSU and the Mavericks will play a three-game series, Saturday and Sunday, at Westside Field at Westbrook. First pitch for Saturday’s doubleheader is noon.

Saturday

• SDSU 6, Creighton 0

Conard improved to 6-0 on the season with a complete game victory, scattering three hits and six walks over seven shutout frames. Conard struck out two and rolled up 13 groundouts for the defense.

Ponce was 2-for-3 on the day with an RBI, while Mallory McQuistan and Rushing each had a hit and drove in a run for the Jacks.

SDSU built a 1-0 lead in the first after a two-out Creighton error allowed Andersen (who reached on a fielder’s choice) to score, and added four more in the fifth to pull away.

Herdliska walked to start the fifth and wheeled around to score when McQuistan followed with a double. Rushing’s single allowed Allison Yoder, who pinch-ran for McQuistan, to dash home as an error on the play sent Rushing to third.

Allison Beaudry was hit by a pitch in the next at-bat, and after she stole second Ponce followed with an RBI single. One more came in for SDSU in the inning on a wild pitch, giving the Jacks the five-run advantage.

Creighton threatened with runners throughout the contest, but a pair of double plays helped the Jacks stave off any Bluejay rallies, including a seventh-inning, 1-6-3 putout to end the game.

• UMKC 6, SDSU 4

Morgan DeMarais (5-2) started and threw into the third, allowing four runs on six hits. Compton pitched the final four innings in relief, giving up two runs on five hits with a strikeout. Neither Jackrabbit pitcher walked a batter.

Crist went 2-for-3 on the afternoon with a double and two runs scored, adding an RBI alongside McQuistan, Ponce and Kendra Torres, who also had a pair of hits.

Knotted up at zero through one, the Jacks opened the scoring in the second with back-to-back doubles from Rushing and Crist. SDSU added one more when Torres singled Crist home, and though the Jacks loaded the bases with two outs, the Kangaroos got out of the inning without further damage.

UMKC got one back in the bottom of the inning, but SDSU countered with a run of its own in the third. Crist was hit by a two-out pitch before stealing second, and shortly after came around to score as Ponce singled to center.

The two-run lead disappeared in the bottom of the inning, however, as the ‘Roos struck for five behind seven hits, including a three-run home run.

The Jacks put together a rally in the seventh behind Andersen’s leadoff double, but one run was all SDSU got in the inning as the Kangaroos held on for the win.