LINCOLN, Neb. – The Jackrabbit softball program was swept in its doubleheader at Nebraska Wednesday, dropping game one 8-2 before falling in the finale, 12-3.
South Dakota State is now 14-9 on the season.
• Nebraska 8, South Dakota State 2
Abbey Murphy led the Jacks with a 3-for-4 performance on the day, racking up two doubles. Ali Herdliska was 2-for-3 with an RBI while Julia Andersen had a double and an RBI.
Madison Hope (8-2) started and threw three innings, allowing three runs with a strikeout. Taylor Compton was tagged for three earned runs (five total) over the next 1.2 innings before Kendra Conard finished the game, tossing the final 1.1 frames.
South Dakota State scored first, jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the opening frame after Murphy and Andersen started the inning with back-to-back doubles but saw Nebraska answer immediately with three runs in the bottom of the inning.
Down two (3-1), State put together scoring threats by loading the bases in the third and fourth innings, cutting it to 3-2 in the top of the fourth when Herdliska took a 1-2 pitch through the left side to score Dana Chavez.
The Huskers matched the Jacks with a run in the bottom of the fourth and tacked on another four in the fifth to go up 8-2.
• Nebraska 12, South Dakota State 3 (Five Innings)
Andersen was 2-for-3 in the game with a double while Mallory McQuistan drove in a pair of runs. Herdliska had the other RBI for SDSU and Brittney Morse added a double of her own.
Hope (8-3) took the loss, throwing into the third before Conard replaced her to finish the inning. Olivia Douglas threw the fourth and struck out one.
The Jackrabbits again scored first, opening up a 2-0 lead in the first when McQuistan took a 1-0, two-out pitch up the middle to plate Andersen (single) and Morse (double) after the duo reached earlier in the inning.
Nebraska responded with three of its one in the bottom of the first and two more in the second with a two-run home run.
SDSU cut into the deficit with a run in the top of the third as Herdliska picked up a sacrifice fly only to see the Huskers put up seven in the bottom to put the Jacks in a 12-3 hole.
Up Next: South Dakota State is idle until next Wednesday, when the squad travels to Iowa City, Iowa for a doubleheader with the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Photo from www.gojacks.com.
