BROOKINGS – South Dakota State beat Western Illinois 2-1 in a three-game Summit League softball series over the weekend at Jackrabbit Stadium.
The Jackrabbits swept a doubleheader, 4-3 (eight innings) and 6-5, on Saturday before the Fighting Leathernecks took the finale 3-2 on Sunday.
No. 6 seed SDSU (19-34, 6-12) and No. 3 seed WIU (20-30, 11-7), which entered the weekend atop the conference standings, face off in the first round of the Summit League Softball Championship is Wednesday through Saturday at Ellig Sports Complex in Fargo, N.D.
Sunday
• Western Illinois 3, SDSU 2
Holly Hoelting and Nina Maggio both went 3-for-4, and the Fighting Leathernecks scored a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to avoid the sweep.
Halle Hollatz was 2-for-3. Kelsey Marlow doubled.
The Jackrabbits scored first as Mallory McQuistan recorded an RBI single in the fourth.
Hollatz answered with a run-scoring hit in the sixth.
Hoelting’s two-run double in the top of the seventh put WIU ahead 3-1.
SDSU pulled within 3-2 on Abbey Murphy’s RBI double in the bottom of the inning; however, the rally came up just short.
McQuistan and Brittney Morse, who doubled, both finished 2-for-3.
Emily Ira gave up two runs on eight hits with seven strikeouts in a complete-game showing to pick up the win. Madison Hope took the loss in relief of Ashlyn Bender, surrendering three runs on six hits with a strikeout in three innings.
Saturday
Game 1
• SDSU 4, Western Illinois 3 (8 inn.)
Dana Chavez’s walkoff hit lifted the Jackrabbits.
Brittney Morse reached on an error with one out in the bottom eighth and Mallory McQuistan followed with a single. Chavez came up next and stroked a single to center to plate pinch runner Danielle Steffo with the winning run.
Eight different Jackrabbits tallied a hit in the game.
Madison Hope tossed a perfect eighth to pick up the win. Ashlyn Bender gave up three runs on eight hits and four walks with a strikeout in seven innings of work.
Ali Herdliska homered with two outs in the first to stake SDSU to an early 1-0 lead. She added a sacrifice fly in the third to double the margin.
The Fighting Leathernecks’ Emily Ira tied things up with a two-run single in the fourth. Hailey Duwa led off the sixth with a double and pinch runner Jasmine Lara later scored on Sam Raplhs’ hit to put WIU up 3-2.
SDSU pulled even on Erin Mullen’s run-scoring double with two outs in the bottom of the sixth.
Ira gave up four runs – three earned – on eight hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings in a losing effort.
Game 2
• SDSU 6, Western Illinois 5
Hope picked up her second win of the day after giving up just one run in 6 1/3 innings, and the Jackrabbits got off to a hot start before holding off the Fighting Leathernecks late to complete the doubleheader sweep.
SDSU scored five runs in the first.
McQuistan had a two-run double with one out. With two away, Yanney Ponce drove in a pair of runs with a single. Baily Janssen, who walked earlier in the inning, scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-0.
Janssen added an RBI single in the third to give the Jackrabbits a 6-0 cushion.
WIU got on the board in the fifth when Kelsey Marlow plated Sam Ralphs with a sacrifice fly.
Katie Lang entered as SDSU’s pitcher in the seventh, surrendering an RBI single to Holly Hoelting and a two-run hit to Duwa – both hits came with two outs.
Hope later re-entered in the circle, walking Payton Abbott and then giving up an RBI single to Compton. However, Amanda Manton was thrown out at home by SDSU centerfielder Julia Andersen to end the game.
Six different Jackrabbits had a hit. Herdliska doubled.
WIU’s Halle Hollatz went 3-for-4 and Hoelting was 2-for-4. Rachel Beatty doubled.
Brooke Stulga gave up six runs in two innings while taking the loss.
