FARGO, N.D. – South Dakota State’s finest Division I-era season ended in the Summit League Softball Championship title game Saturday as top-seeded North Dakota State knocked off the second-seeded Jackrabbits 6-1 in front of a tournament-record 507 fans at Ellig Sports Complex.

Vanessa Anderson and pinch-hitter Dani Renner blasted three-run homers in the third inning to put the Bison (33-17) in control.

Tournament MVP Jacquelyn Sertic took care of the rest, tossing her third gem of the tourney. A day removed from a 15-strikeout no-hitter versus SDSU, she allowed one run on three hits with 12 Ks and a pair of walks. She retired the final 15 batters she faced.

Sertic threw all 19 innings for the Bison in the tourney, giving up one run on nine hits and seven walks with an incredible 36 strikeouts.

Sertic (25-9) lowered her season ERA to 1.61 and has 303 strikeouts in 216 1/3 innings entering the NCAA Tournament. She has 12 shutouts, two of which came in the tournament.

Zoe Stavrou (double) and Madyson Camacho both finished 2-for-4 at the plate. Six different Bison scored a run.

NDSU won its ninth postseason title – to go with seven regular-season crowns – in 10 years of Division I eligibility and became the first team in conference history to take five consecutive crowns.

The Bison won 11 of their final 12 games versus Summit League opponents this season, 10 of which were shutouts.

Less than 24 hours after hitting possibly the biggest home run in school history, Abbey Murphy led off the bottom of the first inning with another long shot to stake the Jackrabbits to an early 1-0 lead.

She finished the game 2-for-3.

Madison Hope (21-8) took the loss after giving up six runs – two earned – on seven hits and two walks with one strikeout.

SDSU, making its sixth tournament appearance, was competing in its first title contest. The Jackrabbits are 3-10 in the event – 0-2 in 2010 and 2014, 1-2 in 2015, 0-1 in 2016 and 2017, and 2-2 in 2018.

South Dakota State finished the season 34-16 – the second-most wins in school history and the most in a season in the DI era.

All-Tournament Team

Jacquelyn Sertic, NDSU (MVP); Dani Renner, NDSU; Tabby Heinz, NDSU; Vanessa Anderson, NDSU; Zoe Stavrou, NDSU; Abbey Murphy, SDSU; Julia Andersen, SDSU; Madison Hope, SDSU; Ali Herdliska, SDSU; Aubrey Hacke, UNO; Jessica Nelson, UNO; Emma Dargy, UNO; Maria Palmegiani, IPFW; Bailey Benefield, IPFW; Jasmine Lara, WIU; Christy Warnock, USD.

NORTH DAKOTA STATE 6,

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 1

NDSU 006 000 0  –  6  9  0

SDSU 100 000 0  –  1  3  1

Photo from www.gojacks.com.