CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The South Dakota State softball team split a pair of games Friday at the UNI Dome Tournament, taking down UMKC 5-3 in the season opener before falling 4-1 to Southeast Missouri State.
The Jackrabbits racked up 14 hits as a team and struck out five opponents.
Abbey Murphy and Julia Andersen each had four hits, with Murphy racking up two doubles. Mallory McQuistan had the lone Jackrabbit long ball on the day, while Megan Rushing posted her first career triple.
In the circle, Madison Hope (1-0) picked up the win in Game 1, while Taylor Compton (0-1) earned a save against UMKC before throwing a complete game against SEMO.
South Dakota State (1-1) faces the host Panthers at 5 p.m. and Drake at 7:15 p.m. today, before closing the event taking on Green Bay at 9:30 a.m. Sunday.
• SDSU 5, UMKC 3
The Jackrabbits had nine hits in the opener, led by Murphy’s 3-for-4 effort.
Hope started and tossed 5 2/3 innings in the win, striking out two with three runs allowed. Compton picked up her first collegiate save after throwing the final 1 1/3 frames in hitless fashion.
SDSU started fast, using a leadoff double from Lyndsey Crist and an RBI single from Andersen to jump out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. UMKC answered in its half to even the scoring.
State broke the stalemate in the third on a solo home run by McQuistan, as the catcher launched a 2-2 pitch over the wall. Rushing followed with a triple to left center and Murphy put SDSU ahead 3-1 on a double down the left-field line.
The Jacks added another run in the fourth as Ali Herdliska doubled home Andersen, who had a double of her own to reach, and made it 5-1 in the fifth when Rushing walked, Murphy doubled and Baily Janssen hit a sacrifice fly deep enough to center to plate the final Jackrabbit run.
UMKC cut the deficit to 5-3 with a pair of runs in the sixth, but Compton entered with one out, pitched out of the damage and sat the Kangaroos down in order in the seventh.
• Southeast Missouri State 4, SDSU 1
Andersen went 2-for-4 at the plate for the Jackrabbits, scoring the lone run.
Compton pitched all six innings and allowed four runs with three strikeouts.
SDSU scored first once again, using a trio of walks after a one-out Andersen hit in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead.
The shutout held until the bottom of the fifth, when the Redhawks drove in thier first run on a sacrifice fly, and in the next inning took advantage of a leadoff double by Abby Tillotson and a two-run home run by Sarah Messex to provide separation from the Jacks.
SEMO’s Madeline Krumrey gave up one run on five hits with three strikeouts and four walks in six innings to earn the win in the circle. Rachel Rook pitched a perfect seventh to secure the save.
Photo from www.gojacks.com.
