BROOKINGS, S.D. – South Dakota State finished off a three-game sweep over North Dakota State in Summit League softball at Jerald T. Moriarty Field on Saturday. The Jackrabbits defeated the Bison, 3-2, to open doubleheader action before earning a 12-3 victory in six innings to cap the weekend’s series.
Game One
Abby Gentry accounted for all three of South Dakota State’s runs driven in as the Jacks narrowly defeated the Bison.
The sophomore got SDSU going in the first inning. Mia Jarecki and Emma Vike got the frame going with singles. Gentry came up with two outs and a runner on third base. She hit a hot shot to the third baseman who nearly got her with the throw across the diamond, but Gentry got to first base in time to put SDSU up 1-0.
Jackrabbit starter Tayler got off to a strong start. She pitched two scoreless innings before NDSU scratched a run across home to tie the score.
Gentry put SDSU back in front in the bottom of the third. Vike hit a two-out double and she was followed by Brooke Dumont drawing a walk. Gentry came up and brought both across the plate with a two-run triple to put the Jackrabbits ahead, 3-1.
NDSU hit a lead-off solo home run in the fourth to chase Baker from the game. The Jackrabbits responded with the tandem of Hailey Herman and Madi Mangulis.
SDSU’s two relievers each faced threats, but combined to throw four shutout innings. Herman gave up one hit, a hit by pitch and two walks across two innings, while Mangulis allowed two hits and walked one, but struck out one. Herman wound up claiming the victory, to improve to 2-0 this season, while picking her third save of the year.
Gentry and Vike finished with three hits apiece for the Jackrabbits. NDSU’s Savy Williams picked up the loss despite a complete game which saw her give up three runs.
Game Two
South Dakota State racked up 14 hits on its way to closing out a 12-3 win in six innings.
After a quick first inning pitched by Sylvia Shromoff, the Jacks came up to the plate ready to hit.
Mia Jarecki and Emma Vike connected on back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the first to give SDSU a 2-0 lead. NDSU responded with three runs in the top of the second to briefly take a 3-2 edge.
Alivya Bollen squared things up three with a one-out solo home run in the bottom of the frame. Four batters later, Gentry hit a two-run double to put the Jackrabbits ahead for good.
SDSU scored another five runs in the third inning. A Madi Conklin walk and Emma Christensen single set Bollen up as she crushed a three-run home run. Brooke Dumont then hit a two-run double, following a Jarecki double and Vike single, to make it 10-3.
Shromoff continued to cruise in the circle. She gave up just two hits combined over a three-inning span as the Jacks came back up in the bottom of the frame.
Gentry hit a single to lead-off the inning. That set up a pinch hitter in freshman Kendall Daniel taking only her fourth at-bat of the season. She swung at a 1-1 pitch and got all of it, sending the ball over the center-field fence for a two-run home run, the first homer of her college career.
Shromoff improved to 4-1 this season. She threw a complete game as she gave up three runs on on six hits. Shromoff struck out two batters while not allowing a walk.
Four different Jackrabbits had multi-hit performances. Leading the way was Vike who went 4-for-4 with three runs scored. Jarecki and Gentry each hit 2-for-3 as Jarecki scored three runs and Gentry had three RBIs. Bollen hit her third and fourth career home runs as she drove in a team-high four RBIs.
SDSU improved to 24-20 overall and 9-3 in Summit League play. North Dakota State fell to 16-27 (3-9).
NOTES
- South Dakota State earned its fifth straight series victory over North Dakota State. SDSU now has an 18-game winning streak over NDSU, cutting the all-time series deficit to 65-75.
- Gentry brought her batting average back over .400 during the series. She’s now hitting .426 with a team-best eight home runs, 48 RBIs and 14 doubles.
- Following Gentry in hitting includes Vike (.393), Dumont (.372), Christensen (.333) and Jarecki (.331).
- Shromoff has jumped into the team-leader in ERA with a mark of 3.35. Baker has a team-high six victories, while Mangulis leads SDSU with three saves.
UP NEXT
The Jackrabbits are currently slated for a doubleheader at Iowa State on Monday. SDSU then hosts Omaha in their final home Summit League series from April 26-27.