BROOKINGS South Dakota States season came to an end on Friday afternoon as the Jackrabbits were eliminated from the Summit League Tournament after losing games in extra innings to Omaha and South Dakota at Jerald T. Moriarty Field.
The Jacks had the lead in the top of the seventh in each of the two games but ended up coming on the wrong side of late-game heroics and saw the season come to close abruptly.
SDSU finished the season with a record of 29-26 overall. After making the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons, the Jacks have now come up short in the Summit League Tournament in three-straight seasons, despite having the tournament in Brookings each year. Omaha won the tournament for a third-straight year and the Mavericks will host next years tournament.
Omaha 8, SDSU 6 (9 inn.)
Katherine Johnsons two-run home run in the ninth inning gave the Mavericks a walk-off win over the Jackrabbits in SDSUs first game of the day on Friday.
SDSU led 3-0 through two innings. In the top of the first Mia Jarecki led off the game with a single. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Emma Vike and then came home on a Brooke Dumont single to make it 1-0.
Emma Christensen and Akayla Barnard started the second with back-to-back singles. Both runners advanced on a ground out from Madi Conklin and then Christensen scored on a Caitlyn Wells fly out. Jarecki then hit Barnard home and SDSU led 3-0.
The Mavs then tied the game in the bottom of the fourth. Three-straight singles from Sydney Thomason, Johnson and Marra Cramer put Omaha on the board as it was 3-1. Cramer and Johnson then scored on a single from Haley Wilderwing to make it 3-3 heading into the fifth.
SDSU regained the lead in the top of the fifth. Dumont led off the inning with a double and Quinn Marnocha pinch ran for her. Marmocha advanced to third on a single from Alli Boyle and then came home on a single from Christensen to make it 4-3 SDSU.
The Jacks added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Boyle hit a one-out single and then she came home on a Christensen double. Barnard then hit Christensen home with a single to make it 6-3 heading into what could have been the final half inning.
However, the Mavericks hung three on the Jacks in the bottom of the seventh. Rylan Ewoldt walked to lead off the inning and scored on a single from Rylinn Groff. Maggie OBrien hit a single and then scored on a Thomason double and Johnson hit a sacrifice fly to make it 6-6. The Mavs had a runner on third with one out but SDSU was able to get out of the inning.
Each team had a base runner in the eighth but couldnt bring the runner home. Barnard then singled with two outs in the ninth for SDSU but Conklin then flew out. Thomason led off the bottom of the ninth with a single and then Johnson came to the plate and ended the game.
The Jacks had a season-high 18 hits. Christensen was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and Dumont and Jarecki were each 3-for-5 with an RBI. Barnard was 4-for-5 with an RBI and Vike was 2-for-4. Boyle was 2-for-5 and Conklin was 1-for-5. Wells had an RBI without a hit.
Sylvia Shromoff got the start for SDSU and pitched three innings. She gave up three runs, two unearned runs, on four hits with two strikeouts and no walks. Tayler Baker pitched the final five innings and gave up five earned runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
South Dakota 3, SDSU 2 (8 inn.)
The Yotes got revenge on Friday after they fell to the Jacks in 13 innings on Thursday.
USD took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Madison Evans led off the inning with a single and then advanced to second on a Clara Edwards sacrifice bunt. Abi Brown Iverson then each walked with two outs to load the bases and an infield single from Carey allowed Evans to come home.
It wasnt until the bottom of the sixth that the Jacks took the lead. Vike led off the inning with a single and then Dumont walked and Hanson pinch ran for her. Abby Gentry reached on a fielders choice as Hanson was thrown out at second. Boyle then reached on a fielders choice as well but Vike was thrown out at the plate. However, Christensen then hit a single and Gentry came home. On the play there was a throwing error from the pitcher and Boyle scored as well to make it 2-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh.
Brown led off the Coyotes half inning and she launched one over the center field wall to tie the game. USD was unable to score any more runs and another game went to extra innings in the Summit League Tournament as SDSU went down one-two-three in the bottom of the seventh.
Evans hit a one-out double in the top of the eighth. BryleeHempey pinch ran for her and then scored on a Rylie Jones single to make it 3-2.
Gentry and Boyle both hit singles with two outs but then Christensen grounded out to third base to end the game.
SDSU had just seven hits against the Coyotes. Christensen was 1-for-4 with an RBI. Gentry and Boyle were 1-for-4 as well. Vike was 2-for-4, Marnocha was 1-for-2 and Conklin was 1-for-3.
The Jacks had three pitchers see action against USD. Baker got the start and pitched four innings. She gave up one earned run on four hits with two walks and no strikeouts. Amanda Vacanti pitched two innings and gave up no runs and no hits before leaving the game due to injury. Shromoff replaced Vacanti and gave up two earned runs in two innings of work. She had one strikeout and one walk.
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