Aaron Lynch

The SDSU women’s softball team dropped two games in the Cougar Classic hosted by SIU-Edwardsville over the weekend of March 27 to 28.

One run in each game was the only deficit keeping the Jacks behind, with a 7-6 loss to the Northern Illinois Huskies and a 2-1 loss to the SIU-Edwardsville Cougars.

The Jacks scored their six runs against the Huskies with 13 hits and led 5-4 after six innings, but the Huskies batted in three runs in the seventh, with SDSU only making up one more run. Leaving 13 runners on base and eight in scoring position, the Jacks struggled to help their cause.

In the game versus Northern Illinois, the women displayed the most hits out of any other game this season facing Division-I opponents. Leading the team at the plate were Dani Broshar, Krista Honken and Tina Winter, who all marked one RBI, along with two hits each. Ashley Durazo hit well for the day, going 3-for-3 in the two games.

Kori Seidlitz pitched the whole first game, giving up seven runs, 10 hits, four walks and four strikeouts. The loss put Seidlitz at 7-10 on the season.

“It is tough when you face the situation of having a freshman pitcher. It’s hard,” said head softball coach Joanna Lane. “But Kori is a very good thrower, and she will have success at the college level. Kori just needs to get into her groove.”

Pam Nicholson pitched the second game of the day and gave up just two runs, both unearned, on four hits with four strikeouts and no walks, but the offense only backed her with one run.”Pam really pitched well,” said Lane. “I think it was her best game yet.”

The only Jacks score came on a home run by Broshar in the second inning &- Broshar’s third of the season. The solo four-bagger kept the team afloat until the bottom of the fourth inning when a couple of SIU hits and an SDSU error left the game standing at 1-1. The Cougars took the lead by one in the sixth inning with another two hits and a Jackrabbit error.

The games on March 27 were the only two the Jacks ended up playing due to rain in Edwardsville. The losses put the Jackrabbits at an 8-17 record going into March 31 when the women contest the Cornhuskers of Lincoln, Neb., in a double-header in Lincoln starting at 3 p.m.

“Playing Nebraska is very exciting to us because of their very nice facilities, their notable athletics, and we also have five girls on the team from Nebraska so it will be fun for them, too,” said Lane. “It benefits us to have a challenging non-conference, but we will approach this series like any other games.”