COMMERCE, Texas — The South Dakota State softball team opened up the 2025 season at the East Texas A&M Leadoff and went undefeated in the event.
The Jackrabbits beat Stephen F. Austin …
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COMMERCE, Texas — The South Dakota State softball team opened up the 2025 season at the East Texas A&M Leadoff and went undefeated in the event.
The Jackrabbits beat Stephen F. Austin and East Texas A&M on Friday before beating SFA again on Saturday and following that with a win over Texas Southern. Sunday’s game were canceled due to weather.
SDSU scored the first five runs of the game — with four home runs serving as a majority of the Jackrabbits’ production at the plate — and never looked back in its win over the Lumberjacks.
Abby Gentry crushed a two-run home run in the top of the first to get South Dakota State in front early. Akayla Barnard, who served as the Jackrabbits’ starting pitcher, followed with a two-run blast of her own in the second. Alivya Bollen went around the bases on a solo home run of her own to lift the Jacks into a 5-0 advantage through the first four innings of action.
The home runs for Gentry and Bollen were the first of their collegiate careers, while Barnard had her second.
Barnard pitched a strong opening four innings for SDSU. She allowed three hits, but didn’t allow a run as she kept the Lumberjacks off the board. An RBI triple and RBI single for Stephen F. Austin in the fifth inning cut into the Jackrabbit lead at 5-2.
The top of the sixth saw the Jackrabbits put the game out of reach. Emma Vike hit a three-run home run, the first of her career, and Brooke Dumont eventually followed with an RBI single to make it 9-2.
A two-run home to begin the bottom of the frame chased Barnard from the proceedings. Hailey Herman came on in relief and pitched two shutout innings. She allowed two hits, but didn’t give up a walk and struck out two batters.
Barnard earned her first win of the season. She threw five-plus innings allowing seven hits and four runs. Barnard struck out seven batters and walked two.
Jarecki and Emma Christensen led SDSU with two hits apiece. Jarecki scored three runs while six others crossed home plate.
The Jackrabbits used a five-run fifth inning to pull away from East Texas A&M for a 9-0 win.
South Dakota State had plenty of opportunities to strike early. The Jackrabbits left seven runners on base in the opening three innings, including a bases loaded chance in the third, but were unable to come up with a run.
SDSU freshman pitcher Tayler Baker was stellar in her collegiate debut. She allowed just one hit in the opening four innings while nine of the first 12 outs she recorded came via strikeout.
The fifth inning finally saw a breakthrough by the Jackrabbits. After an inning-opening out, Dumont hit a solo home run to give SDSU an initial 1-0 edge. Consecutive walks by Madi Conklin, Bollen and Alli Boyle loaded the bases for the Jacks. Three RBI singles from Christensen, Jarecki and Barnard highlighted the frame for South Dakota State. Gentry also had an RBI on a walk as SDSU went to the bottom of the frame up 7-0.
East Texas A&M’s best opportunity at the plate came next. Two singles in the fifth eventually led to the Lions putting runners on second and third with one out. Baker forced a groundout back to her, which she threw home and the runner was tagged out before reaching the plate. She escaped the inning with a line out to the shortstop.
Claire Wynja walked as a pinch runner and came around to score on an RBI double by Caitlyn Wells. Amanda Vacanti singled, then Jarecki hit an RBI single to extend SDSU’s lead to 9-0. The hit for Wells was her first as a Jackrabbit while Vacanti’s was the first of her college career.
Madi Mangulis made her Yellow and Blue debut in the circle in the sixth. She struck out two batters while she got out of the inning, and closed out the game, on a diving catch on a fly out to right field by Alissa Wernz.
SDSU’s Baker picked up her first win of her college career. She threw five shutout innings. Baker struck out nine and walked just two, while she allowed three hits.
Jarecki had a team-high three hits and two RBIs for the Jackrabbits. Christensen had two hits and scored two runs.
South Dakota State trailed after two innings of action, then scored six straight runs, before claiming the 6-3 victory over the Lumberjacks.
A solo home run and RBI single as part of a three-hit top of the second put SFA into the lead.
The Jackrabbits scored four runs in the bottom of the third inning. Alli Boyle got the frame started with a double, Emma Christensen hit a single and Emma Vike drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. A two-run single by Mia Jarecki tied the score at 2-2. Following a Jackrabbit strikeout, Abby Gentry hit a two-run double to put the Jackrabbits on top, 4-2.
An RBI single off the bat of Jarecki in the fourth, along with an RBI single from Akayla Barnard in the sixth, extended SDSU’s lead to 6-2.
It was a game featuring the Jackrabbit bullpen. Sylvia Shromoff made her collegiate debut stepping into the circle in the third inning. She pitched two shutout innings, giving up a hit and allowing one walk. Shromoff wound up picking up the victory for her efforts.
Madi Mangulis stepped in for her in the fifth. She threw three innings and allowed one run on four hits. She struck out five Lumberjacks as Mangulis closed out the contest to pick up her first save as a Jackrabbit.
Jarecki recorded a team-high three hits and three RBIs. Barnard and Christensen had two hits apiece, while Christensen scored two runs.
The Jackrabbits scored four runs in the first inning and never looked back in their victory over the Tigers.
A Madi Conklin RBI single and three-run double by Boyle put SDSU on top 4-0 early.
Texas Southern scored a run in the top of the third, but the Jacks responded in the bottom of the frame. Vike hit an RBI single and Jarecki plated two runners on a single of her own to extend the Jackrabbit advantage to 7-1.
SDSU’s next time at-bat saw Alivya Bollen hit a two-run home run. Her second homer of the season put the Jackrabbits ahead, 9-1.
The pitching trio of Barnard, Hailey Herman and Amanda Vacanti combined for five innings of work. They allowed for five hits and a run. Vacanti, making her first college appearance in the circle, was credited with the win as she threw the final two innings of the game.
Gentry, Conklin and Boyle each had two hits. Bollen scored two runs.
The final day of games at the East Texas A&M Leadoff tournament on Sunday were canceled, the Lions’ Athletic department announced.
East Texas A&M announced the cancelation due to unplayable field conditions and inclement weather. The South Dakota State softball team was scheduled to play Texas Southern and East Texas A&M on Sunday at the Lions’ Cain Family Field.
SDSU is scheduled next to participate in Tarleton State’s Whataburger Invitational in Stephenville, Texas, on Feb. 14-16. The Jackrabbits begin action at 10:30 a.m. Friday versus Akron.
