LINCOLN, Neb. The South Dakota State softball team won three of its first four games in the Big Red Spring Fling hosted by Nebraska over the weekend.
The Jackrabbits beat Northern Iowa and Northern Colorado on Saturday. They then topped UNC again on Sunday before falling to Nebraksa.
The Jacks are now 9-13 on the season. SDSU will play UNC again on Monday at 10 a.m.
Saturday
SDSU 6, Northern Iowa 1
South Dakota State starter Akayla Barnard pitched her third complete game of her career, and completed the feat in her second consecutive start, to lead the Jacks from the circle in their 6-1 win against the Panthers.
Barnard ran into a bit of trouble early. Northern Iowa was able to draw four walks in the first inning and put the first run on the board. Barnard limited the Panthers to that as the Jackrabbit lineup struck back quickly in the bottom of the frame.
Barnard hit a one-out single and Brooke Dumont followed with a double to put two runners on base. Sophomore Abby Gentry came up and hit a three-run home run over the center field fence to put the Jacks on top, 3-1.
SDSU scored a run apiece in the third, fourth and fifth innings. Emma Vike hit an RBI single in the third, Barnard grounded out but plated a run in the fourth and Caitlyn Wells produced a pinch-hit RBI double in the fifth.
Barnard threw four straight 1-2-3 innings and had a no-hitter going into the sixth inning. The Panthers were able to pick up their first hit with their lead-off batter in the frame. Northern Iowa wasnt able to do anything with a single however as Barnard cruised through her final two innings of work.
Gentry finished the game with her first four-hit game of her career. She had a hit in all four of her at-bats while she recorded three RBIs and two runs scored. Dumont registered three hits and Alli Boyle had two.
Barnard went the distance for the Jackrabbits as she improved to 3-3 on the season. She gave up one run on one hit and five walks, while she struck out six.
SDSU 4, Northern Colorado 1
South Dakota State was buoyed by its pitching staff and took advantage of extra-base hits in its 4-1 night-cap victory over Northern Colorado.
The Jackrabbits went ahead in the first, 2-0, over the Bears. Barnard and Dumont each drew walks and the two would be plated on a two-run double by Gentry. Barnard hit a solo home run in the top of the third to make it 3-0.
SDSU starter Amanda Vacanti was relieved after two-plus innings by Hailey Herman. The two, along with another pitcher in Madi Mangulis, limited the damage to just a run for Northern Colorado in the third, as the score went into the fourth with the Jacks holding a 3-1 edge.
Mangulis eventually pitched 2 2/3 innings, giving up three hits and a walk, but kept the Bears lineup off the scoreboard. The score remained 3-1 as the top of the sixth came and saw Vike hit a solo home run to extend the Jackrabbit lead to 4-1.
SDSU went to freshman Tayler Baker in the circle for the sixth and seventh innings. She struck out four batters, while giving up a hit and a walk, and closed the game out for the Jackrabbits in the victory.
Vike went 3-for-3 at the plate for South Dakota State. Gentry picked up two hits and drove in two runs. Barnard scored two runs. Manguliss performance in relief garnered her a victory improving her record to 2-3 this season. Baker was credited with the first save of her college career.
Sunday
SDSU 5, Northern Colorado 4
SDSU earned its second win of the weekend over Northern Colorado after falling behind early.
The Bears scored three runs on four hits in the opening inning and held a 3-0 lead going into the second frame.
The Jackrabbits responded in the top half of the second. SDSU got two runners on base with one out following an Alli Boyle single and Emma Vike walk. Amanda Vacanti came up next and hit an 0-2 pitch over the left-field fence to tie the score at 3-all.
SDSU continued its at-bat as Madi Conklin and Alissa Wernz hit back-to-back singles. Mia Jarecki hit a sacrifice fly to score Conklin from third, giving the Jacks a 4-3 lead.
Jackrabbit starting pitcher Tayler Baker threw three consecutive shutout innings. The bottom of the fourth saw Akayla Barnard draw a two-out walk and score on an RBI double by Brooke Dumont to make it 5-3.
Baker handed the ball off to Madi Mangulis in the fifth. The Bears got runners to second and third in the fifth with two outs, but Mangulis worked out of the threat by producing a ground out. A double play turned in the sixth by the SDSU infield kept the UNC lineup at bay.
The Bears final at-bat in the seventh started with two straight outs via ground out. A walk and single set Northern Colorado up with two runners on base. The Bears followed it with a single which brought one runner across home to score, however the second runner was caught trying to advance to third base and was thrown out by Vacanti from her right-field position.
The play ended the game in favor of South Dakota State by a 5-4 score.
Boyle had a team-high two of SDSUs eight hits. Vacanti had three RBIs. Baker improved to 2-3 on the season with the victory. Mangulis earned her second save of the year as she pitched three innings and gave up one run on three hits.
Nebraska 5, SDSU 4
South Dakota State played a back-and-forth battle versus nationally-ranked Nebraska, however the Huskers eventually prevailed 5-4 in nine innings.
The Jackrabbits Abby Gentry got SDSU ahead 2-0 in the first inning on a two-run home run off Nebraska starter Jordy Bahl.
The score remained at that margin until the fifth inning as SDSUs Vacanti was solid in the circle. Two of the first four innings saw the Huskers get two runners on base and each time the Jackrabbit pitcher was able to get out of the jam.
Nebraska finally scored two in the fifth on a two-run single. The Huskers took a 3-2 lead in the sixth on a sacrifice fly as the two sides went to the seventh.
The Jacks were down to their final out when Conklin ripped a 1-1 pitch over the left-field fence to tie the score at 3-3. SDSU kept Nebraska off the board in the bottom of the frame to send the game to extra innings.
A walk drawn by Barnard and single by Gentry put two Jackrabbits on with two outs in the eighth. Alli Boyle hit a ball which was misplayed in the infield by the Huskers, allowing Barnard to come around from second base to score, momentarily giving SDSU a 4-3 edge.
Nebraska followed with a one-out solo home run in the bottom of the eighth to push the game to the ninth.
South Dakota State got a runner to second base in the inning but left her stranded. The Huskers took advantage of a walk and fielding error to get runners on first and third base with one out. Nebraskas Bella Bacon hit a ball in the infield giving the Jacks an opportunity to try to pull the double play, however Bacon beat the throw to first base, allowing the runner from third base to cross home and hand a victory to the home side.
Vacanti finished out the first complete game of her college career. She allowed five runs (three earned) across 8 2/3 innings. Vacanti fell to 1-4 on the season.
Conklin and Gentry each registered two hits for the Jacks and they had a home run apiece. Barnard had SDSUs other hit in the contest.
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