SAN DIEGO - The South Dakota State softball team hung on for a 1-0, eight inning win over San Diego on Tuesday, but dropped a 3-1 affair in the night cap to earn a split in the first two of a three game series against the Toreros.
The Jackrabbits finish the day with an 8-12 record, while the Toreros finish with an 8-11 mark on the season.
Locked in a scoreless tie in the top of the eighth inning in Game 1, Devon Reick opened the frame with a single through the left side and advanced to second on a Kelly Kleppin sacrifice bunt. That brought up Alex Landon, who delivered a single up the middle that scored Reick from second to put the Jacks up 1-0.
The rally would fizzle from there, but Kori Seidlitz fought off a leadoff double in the bottom of the inning and sat down the next three Toreros in order to preserve the shutout win, her fourth win of the season and the fifth shutout of her career.
Seidlitz scattered five hits over eight innings with three walks and four strikeouts. Landon accounted for two of the four SDSU hits and the lone RBI in three at-bats.
SDSU scored first Game 2 on an RBI single from Landon that scored Reick, who reached after being hit by a pitch to open the game and then stole second to get into scoring position.
The 1-0 lead did not last though, as San Diego responded with a pair of runs of four hits in the bottom of the first inning to take a 2-1 lead.
The Jacks threatened in the third, loading the bases with one out, but could not convert and did not get a runner past first base for the rest of the game.
San Diego tacked on an insurance run in the sixth inning to secure the 3-1 win.
Jennifer Sutton took the loss to even her record at 3-3. She pitched all six innings, giving up three runs on eight hits with a walk and a pair of strikeouts. Landon again recorded the only multi-hit game for SDSU in going 2-for-2 at the plate with a walk and an RBI.
The Jacks and Toreros play the rubber game of the three-game series on Wednesday at 5 p.m. PT, 7 p.m. CT.
