Nick Hartley

The old saying, “close only counts in hand grenades and horse shoes,” has held true for the Jackrabbit softball team. Coming into this weekend, the Jacks have been on the losing end of four games decided by three runs or less. After another tough weekend, the Jacks added two more close games to that count, as they went 1-4 at the Shocker Invite held at Wichita State.

“Overall, the weekend was full of positives, whether it be wins or losses. We played Wichita State, who had been receiving votes in the AP Top 25, close. And we had an opportunity to win the game,” said head coach Joanna Lane. “I think overall, our offense is coming alive. We have some things we have to do when it comes to hitting with runners in scoring position and when it comes to moving runners by bunts and hit and runs. Despite a 1-4 record, we have plenty of things to be positive about.”

During the Wichita game, Stacey Evans’ two-out double scored Jessica Vineyard, making the score 1-0 in the first. Unfortunately, a multitude of early errors put the Jacks in an early 5-1 hole.

Ashley Durazo singled home Greta Stroh from third to make the score 5-2 going into the fourth inning. Brittany Postma singled and scored on a Kiley Schwedhelm single to get the Jacks within two runs at 5-3, but that was all the Jacks could muster.

Facing Big Twelve foe Iowa State, the Jacks found offense, but not enough, falling 15-7 to the Cyclones. Durazo reached on an error and scored on a Schwedhelm single, giving the Jacks an early 1-0 lead. After a six run first inning for Iowa State, Dani Broshar opened the Jacks’ second with a single, scoring later when Durazo reached on an error, making it 6-2.

Down by four, Brooke Postma singled to open the fourth and advanced to second on a bunt single by Stroh. Sam Heinzman walked, loading the bases and bringing up Durazo, whose single scored Postma and Stroh. Vineyard singled home Heinzman and Durazo, tying the game at six-all. Iowa State scored six runs in the fourth building up a 12-6 lead. Stroh’s first career homerun in the fifth gave the Jacks some hopes, but the Cyclones power game ended the game in the bottom of the fifth with three more runs with the score 15-7.

Against UMKC, Heinzman opened the game with a single through the left side, and scored two batters later on a Vineyard double to put SDSU on top 1-0. It stayed that way until the bottom of the third, when UMKC used six hits and one Jackrabbit error to score five runs. Durazo’s RBI double drove in Heinzman, making the score 5-2 in UMKC’s favor

In their second meeting, Iowa State’s offense got the best of the Jacks as they fell 12-5. Heinzman started the first by getting hit by a pitch before a Durazo triple brought her home. Durazo later scored on an illegal pitch, giving the Jacks an early 2-0.

The Jackrabbit lead did not last long, as the Cyclones countered with two runs in the second, one in the third and put the game away with five in the fifth. The Jacks scored three runs in the sixth inning, but ISU got them back in the top of the seventh, winning 12-5 and securing the weekend sweep. Durazo had a solid game at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a pair of singles, a double and a triple, leaving her just a homerun shy of the cycle.

The Kangaroos of UMKC took advantage of the Jacks early in the last game of the tourney before SDSU found some offensive weapons.

Steph Peters and Heinzman got on base early. Durazo came up with two runners on and knocked in Peters with single. After Vineyard loaded the bases, Schwehelm singled home Heinzman, bringing the Jacks within one. Broshar’s bases-loaded triple cleared the bases, giving the Jacks a 5-3 lead.

Stroh came up next and singled home Broshar. Peters opened the fourth with her second walk of the game and scored on a Heinzman triple. Heinzman scored later on a Vineyard sac fly to put SDSU on top 8-4. UMKC scored in the sixth and seventh innings, but stranded runners as the Jacks hung on for the 8-6 win.

The Jacks (5-13) return to action this weekend when they travel to face Southern Utah in the first game of the seven-game trip.