Jacks Survive and Advance in Summit Tourney

Brayden Byers, Managing Editor

Top-seeded South Dakota State advanced to the semifinals of the Summit League Softball Championships after splitting two games Thursday.

SDSU met up with the University of South Dakota Thursday in a rematch of the South Dakota Showdown series. The Jackrabbits swept the Coyotes in three games during the series just a week ago, including the first perfect game in Jacks history.

First pitch was pushed back an hour due to the game between North Dakota State and Kansas City being suspended in the fifth inning due to lightning Wednesday.

SDSU and USD were locked in a pitcher’s duel throughout most of the 2-0 win for the Yotes. The only runs scored in the game came in the top of the sixth inning when Gabby Moser took a 3-1 pitch and drove it deep to left-center field with Aleesia Sainz on second for a two-run homer.

Clara Edwards would get the complete game shutout striking out seven Jacks to advance the Coyotes to the winner’s bracket while Tori Kniesche would get only her fifth loss of the year.

SDSU would get two hits in the game from Rozelyn Carillo and Emma Osmundson leaving a total of six runners on base.

In Game 2, SDSU matched up with another I-29 rival in NDSU. The Jackrabbits took the win to advance to the semifinals by a score of 10-2 in run-rule fashion.

From the beginning, the Jacks showed much more urgency at the plate totaling more hits through three innings than they did the entirety of the earlier game. All nine players for the yellow and blue notched at least one hit.

Tied 1-1 in the bottom of the third, SDSU exploded for 5 runs. Jozelyn Carillo singled to bring in two runs off an error to make the score 3-1. Later in the inning, Osmundson would hit a sacrifice fly to center bringing Carillo, who was at second, around to score making the tally 4-1.

To finish off the third, Alexa Williams hit a two-run homer to center field and finish the inning with a 6-1 score.

The Jacks continued in the fourth with Brooke Dumont hitting the second home run of the day for the Jacks to put them up 7-1. Later in the fourth, with the bases juiced, Lindsey Culver would single through the left side scoring two more to make it 9-1.

Both teams would score one more putting the score at 10-2 and ending it in the fifth due to the eight-run rule.

Shannon Lasey recorded her 15thwin pitching her 10th complete game of the year allowing seven hits, two earned runs while walking and striking out three. Laine Lyle took the loss pitching three innings allowing nine hits, seven earned runs and one walk.

The Jackrabbits will continue to look for its third straight trip to the Summit League Championship Game as they will take on the loser of game six which is set to be played tomorrow between South Dakota and Omaha at 1 p.m. in Brookings.

All the games in the tournament can be seen on the Summit League Digital Network and Midco Sports Network as well as streamed on Midco Sports Plus.