South Dakota State softball saw its losing streak continue after dropping three games in the Michelle Short & Adam Brown Tournament in Conway, Arkansas.

Game 1: Central Arkansas

The Sugar Bears beat SDSU 8-0 in their first shutout loss of the season.

Addi Graham opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first inning. The Sugar Bears added two more runs in the inning before being kept scoreless until the fourth with a Kyl Griffin single. After a further four Sugar Bear runs, the game was called on the run-ahead rule.

Akayla Barnard started on the mound before Amanda Vacanti took over overpitching duties. Two additional Jackrabbit pitchers came in for relief, but none could force a strikeout.

Game 2: Oklahoma State

The second game on Sunday started on the right foot, as Mia Jarecki and Brooke Dumont each hit a home run in the first. After a throwing error caused a Cowgirl run to score, the Jacks were unable to keep pace, giving up five unanswered runs to suffer their fifth straight loss.

Tayler Becker started on the mound for SDSU, pitching for five innings and striking out two batters. Madi Mangulis finished the game at the mound, allowing a single hit in South Dakota State’s 2-5 loss.

Game 3: Central Arkansas

Round two between the Jacks and the Sugar Bears on Monday started identically to the previous day’s game with three Sugar Bear runs, but SDSU answered quickly with two homers in the next two innings to bring it within one run. They were unable to complete the comeback, however, losing 6-3.

Madi Mangulis got the start on the mound but Amanda Vacanti came into the game after Mangulis gave up the first four hits and three runs. Vacanti struck out the only batter for SDSU in their 3-6 loss.

SDSU drops to a 5-7 record, going 1-6 in their last seven games. They will return to the mound this weekend in the Shocker Invitational in Wichita, Kansas, with games against Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Missouri, and Wichita State.