The South Dakota State softball team won one out of five games in the Whataburger Invitational over the weeekend.
The Jackrabbits fell to Akron to open the tournament on Friday and then beat Austin Peay later in the day. SDSU then dropped games to Houston Christian and Tarleton State on Saturday before losing a rematch to Austin Peay on Sunday.
The Jacks are now 5-4 on the season and will play in the Michelle Short & Adam Brown Tournament in Conway, Ark., next weekend.
Friday
Akron 2, SDSU 1
The Jackrabbits were only able to produce two hits and two runs in the first three innings were enough for the Zips in a 2-1 decision.
SDSU came up to the plate first and had a bases loaded opportunity in the first frame thanks to three walks. The Jackrabbits were unable to plate a run as Amanda Vacanti lined out to right field for the third out.
A leadoff walk eventually found its way across home following a sacrifice bunt, ground out and wild pitch. That gave the Zips a 1-0 lead after the first inning of action.
They added another run in the third to make it a 2-0 score and chased SDSU starter Akayla Barnard from the circle. Madi Mangulis relieved her and helped the Jacks escape the inning without any more damage.
South Dakota States lone hits of the ballgame came in the fourth. Brooke Dumont led the inning off with a double and was pinch run for by Quinn Marnocha. A one-out RBI single by Vacanti scored Marnocha to cut the deficit to 2-1.
It would be all SDSUs hitters could produce against Akron. The Jackrabbits were never able to get another runner to third base the remainder of the contest.
Akron starting pitcher Macy Walters threw a complete game. She improved to 2-0 as she allowed just one earned run on two hits and four walks while striking out two.
Barnard took the loss in 2 1/3 innings of work. Vacanti pitched the final three innings in the circle for SDSU and didnt allow a run. She gave up two hits and a walk but struck out three batters.
SDSU 10, Austin Peay 9
South Dakota State rallied after trailing on two separate occasions, and hit a go-ahead home run in the seventh, en route to capturing 10-9 win over Austin Peay.
The Governors got out to a 3-0 lead through two innings of action. The fourth saw both teams register multiple runs.
SDSUs Mia Jarecki and Barnard walked to begin the top of the frame. Vacanti came up and crushed the first home run of her career to tie the score at 3-3. Austin Peay immediately broke up the tie in the bottom of the frame. Four hits in the inning, which included a two-run home run and two-run single, put the Govs ahead again at 7-3.
Fifth-inning singles by Jarecki and Vacanti put another pair of Jackrabbits on the bases. They would be plated on a two-out, three-run home run by Brooke Dumont to cut the score to 7-6.
Mangulis, who came on to pitch for SDSU during the fourth inning, kept the Jackrabbits in striking distance completing scoreless fifth and sixth frames. It brought SDSU up to bat for a possible final time in the seventh.
Barnard led the inning off with a solo home run to tie the score at 7-7. Vacanti and Dumont walked to get two runners on base. Cece Hanson and Lila McNeill came in to pinch run and the two Jackrabbits found their way to second and third base with two outs.
SDSU senior Alli Boyle came up and worked the count full to 3-2. The next pitch she saw she crushed over the center-field wall for a three-run home run. Her first homer of the season gave the Jacks their first lead of the day at 10-7.
Mangulis battled to close the game out. A leadoff single eventually came around to score on an infield error first, then a solo home run for Austin Peay made it 10-9 with two outs. Following another single, Mangulis got SDSU out of the threat with a fly out. The junior pitcher picked up her first win for the Jackrabbits. She threw 3 2/3 innings and gave up five hits and two runs (none earned). Vacanti had a team-high three hits. Barnard and Emma Christensen each had two.
Saturday
Houston Christian 10, SDSU 8
Brooke Dumont completed a career day at the plate to carry South Dakota State.
The SDSU senior hit an RBI double in the top of the first to give the Jackrabbits an early 1-0 lead. Houston Christian scored six runs in the bottom of the frame, forcing SDSU to try to rally the rest of the way.
Trailing 8-4 in the fourth, Dumont crushed a three-run home run to cut the score to 8-7. Mia Jarecki was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the top of the fifth, tying the score at 8-8.
The Huskies took the lead for good in the bottom half of the inning. Houston Christian plated two runs in the fifth and held off the Jackrabbits to claim a 10-8 victory.
Dumont went 4-for-4 at the plate for the Jacks as she had her first four-hit game of her career. She had four RBIs and scored two runs. Emma Christensen picked up two hits and Jarecki drove in two runs for SDSU. Christensen and Amanda Vacanti crossed home twice.
Akayla Barnard was credited with the loss in the circle.
Tarleton State 10, SDSU 1 (6 inn.)
South Dakota State scored the first run of the game, but Tarleton State was too much as the Texans scored 10 straight runs to close out a six-inning victory over the Jackrabbits.
Barnard reached base in the top of the first on a bunt single. Shed eventually score in the top of the first on an Abby Gentry RBI single.Their two hits made up six for the Jackrabbits in the ballgame.
Tarleton State tied the score in the bottom of the first. The Texans then scored a pair of runs in the third and fourth innings. The host side rattled off five runs in the sixth to close out the victory.
Tayler Baker started and picked up the first loss of her career in the circle. Madi Mangulis worked 2 1/3 innings and gave up five runs, but none of them were earned. She allowed four hits while striking out three.
Sunday
Austin Peay 9, SDSU 4
Austin Peay hit a grand slam in the sixth innings propelling the Governors over the Jackrabbits, 9-4, in the finale at the Whataburger Invitational Sunday at Tarleton Softball Complex.
Austin Peay took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but an RBI double by Brooke Dumont in the bottom of the frame cut the score to 2-1. Dumont drew a bases-loaded walk in the third inning to tie the matchup at 2-2.
The Jackrabbits briefly took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth. An Amanda Vacanti double that skipped over third base and down the line scored Abby Gentry and Akayla Barnard.
The Governors tied the score in the next frame as the two sides eventually went to the sixth with a 4-4 score. Austin Peay first took the advantage on a sacrifice fly, then a Sam Leski two-out grand slam gave the Govs a five-run advantage.
It proved to be enough for Austin Peay who fell 10-9 to South Dakota State on Friday. Austin Peay closed out the victory while the Jackrabbits dropped to 5-4 overall.
South Dakota State was led at the plate by a couple of Jackrabbits. Gentry and Vacanti each had two hits, while Vacanti and Dumont had two RBIs apiece.
Madi Mangulis was credited with the loss in the circle. She went 5 2/3 innings as the Jackrabbit starter.
Vacanti is atop SDSUs batting average leaderboard through nine games. She is hitting .529. Vacanti is followed by Dumont (.455), Mia Jarecki (.440), Emma Christensen (.423) and Gentry (.421).
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