COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – The South Dakota State softball team remained unbeaten in Summit League play as the Jackrabbits swept a three-game series with North Dakota over the weekend.

Friday
SDSU 2, North Dakota 0
Kniesche recorded her third complete-game shutout in as many starts in the first game of the series. The senior struck out 14 batters and allowed four hits and only two walks. She allowed only two base runners through the first three frames, both walks, and the final three batters of the third each went down swinging.

With two outs in the bottom of the third and two runners on, Rozelyn Carrillo crushed a double to the left field fence to score Lindsey Culver and Mia Jarecki for the difference in the game. Carrillo ups her season RBI count to 15 while Jarecki (32) and Culver (26) rank first and third for the squad in runs scored this year.

North Dakota looked to make a comeback push in the sixth inning. The Hawks opened the frame with consecutive singles, then both runners advanced on a ground out. Kniesche got out of the jam by inducing a pop up for the second out, then struck out the final batter to end the threat.

Jocelyn Carrillo found herself in scoring position with two outs in the bottom of the sixth following a single, wild pitch and fielder’s choice, however she could not be brought all the way home.

The Jackrabbits were victorious in a game they were out-hit for the first time this season as UND finished with a 4-3 edge in hits. Emma Osmundson, Rozelyn Carrillo and Jocelyn Carrillo tallied a knock a piece.
UND’s Jackie Albrecht finished with six strikeouts while giving up five walks, three hits and a pair of earned runs.

SDSU 2, North Dakota 1
The second contest of the afternoon was scoreless until the fifth, when Johanna Rodriguez doubled to score teammate Angie Dumlao for the 1-0 Fighting Hawk lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, Brooke Dumont battled through a 12-pitch at-bat to draw a walk, setting up Conklin’s heroic opportunity. Emma Christensen pinch ran for Dumont and was moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt from Jocelyn Carrillo. Conklin sent a high-flying shot over the center field fence for the first homer of her career and SDSU’s seventh consecutive win.

Conklin finished with a pair of hits for the Jacks, the only player of either team with multiple hits in the same game. Both teams had four hits in the contest.

Alexa Williams earned her first win of the season. She entered in relief for Shannon Lasey in the sixth and faced only seven batters. Lasey struck out five batters and gave up three hits and three walks through five innings of work.

Makaela Carr takes the loss for the Hawks. She tallied three strikeouts while walking three and giving up four hits.

Saturday
SDSU 9, North Dakota 0 (5 inn.)
South Dakota State scored nine runs in the opening two innings and another stellar outing from pitcher Tori Kniesche carried the Jackrabbits to a five-inning 9-0 victory on Saturday, March 30, over North Dakota on the campus of Iowa Western. The win for SDSU over UND completed a three-game series sweep.

The Jackrabbits jumped out early over the Fighting Hawks. A 1-2-3 inning in the circle by Kniesche brought the SDSU lineup to the plate. Mia Jarecki hit a lead-off single, Emma Osmundson drove her in on a double and Lindsey Culver made it consecutive RBI doubles to put the Jacks up 2-0. An RBI groundout by Brooke Dumont that plated Culver pushed SDSU ahead 3-0 at the end of the first.

North Dakota drew a walk in the second, but it was all the Fighting Hawks could muster.

SDSU scored six runs in the bottom half of the frame. An Alli Boyle single got the inning started and led to the Jacks loading the bases with one out. Osmundson was hit by a pitch to extend the advantage to 4-0. Culver followed with another run-producing double, this time scoring three, to make it 7-0. Rozelyn Carrillo followed with an RBI single, then Boyle hit an RBI fielder’s choice, to give the Jacks a 9-0 edge.

It was all the insurance Kniesche needed. The senior starter for the Jackrabbits eventually hit two North Dakota batters, but was nearly untouchable on Saturday afternoon. Kniesche threw all five innings for SDSU and struck out 10 batters on just 62 pitches. She completed her third no-hitter showing in her last four appearances and pitched the 10th no-hitter of her college career.

The Jackrabbits recorded nine hits as a lineup. Culver and Jarecki had two hits apiece, with Culver driving in four runs. The two, along with Osmundson, scored two runs apiece.

South Dakota State extended its win streak over North Dakota to 12 games. The Jackrabbits are now 21-18 overall and 5-0 in Summit League action. North Dakota fell to 6-32 overall after dropping its first three contests of its conference slate.

Up Next
South Dakota State is scheduled to host its next series in Brookings. The Jackrabbits are slated to play Kansas City in a three-game series starting on Saturday, April 6.