JACKRABBITS TAKE OPENING TWO GAMES FROM ROOS

Saturday, April 29

Kansas City, Mo.

12 p.m.

South Dakota State University

30-15, 0

Kansas City (DH)

8-38, 0

South Dakota State

Kansas City

Brooke Dumont

Photo by: Erik Williams

4/29/2023 4:46:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Andrew Pedersen

KANSAS CITY – The South Dakota State softball team extended its undefeated stretch against Summit League competition on Saturday, April 29, as the Jackrabbits beat Kansas City in the first two contests of their three-game series. The Jacks topped the Roos 3-1 in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, then SDSU routed Kansas City 14-3 in the second matchup of the day at the Urban Youth Academy softball field.

Game 1 (Doubleheader)
South Dakota State scored the game's first run in the opening inning and never trailed en route to a 3-1 victory to begin the series on Saturday.

Mia Jarecki led the contest off with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Allison Yoder.

SDSU starting pitcher Tori Kniesche gave up two hits in the opening three innings with the second leading to the Roos' first run. A one-out double by Ally Vonfeldt eventually was plated in the third on a two-out infield error, tying the score at 1-1.

The Jackrabbits came right back in the top of the fourth to take the lead back. Rozelyn Carrillo singled to open the inning, Jocelyn Carrillo walked, then a Lindsey Culver bunt single loaded the bases with no outs. Consecutive sacrifice flies by Emma Osmundson and Alexa Williams pushed the SDSU advantage to 3-1.

Kniesche worked through the next three innings with relative ease before Kansas City attempted to rally in the seventh. The Roos got a lead-off walk, followed by a single, to put two runners on with no outs. Kniesche buckled down and struck out three straight batters to end the contest.

Jarecki had three of SDSU's six hits in the game one victory and finished a home run shy of the cycle. She scored a run along with the Carrillo sisters. Kniesche pitched a complete game and didn't give up an earned run. She allowed five hits and three walks, while striking out 13. Kniesche improved to 19-4 this season.

Vonfeldt and Lexy Smith had two hits apiece for the Roos. Starter Kati Noble pitched five innings and gave up three runs on five hits while taking the loss.

Game 2 (Doubleheader)
SDSU scored a season-high 14 runs and recorded its largest victory ever in its all-time series against Kansas City as the Jacks beat the Roos 14-3.

The Jacks opened the top of the first with a lead-off single by Jarecki, then following an out, got walks from Rozelyn Carrillo and Jocelyn Carrillo to load the bases. Culver started a 14-run spree by hitting a grand slam over the left-field fence. SDSU extended its lead to 8-0 behind an RBI single from Brooke Dumont, RBI hit by pitch from Yoder and two-run single by Rozelyn Carrillo.

SDSU plated another two runs in the second behind RBI singles from Alli Boyle and Jarecki. The Jackrabbit advantage reached 14-0 following the top of the third. Culver had an RBI single, Williams drove in a run on a single and Dumont smacked a two-run single for another four runs scored in the inning.

SDSU's Shannon Lasey didn't allow a hit in the opening two innings, but the Roos got to the Jackrabbit starting pitcher in the third. Kansas City recorded two hits and had two walks to score three runs to make it 14-3 after three innings of play.

Lasey completed hitless fourth and fifth innings to close the run-rule win out for the Jacks. She improved to 12-6 in the circle for SDSU this year. Lasey gave up two hits and two walks while striking out three batters.

Culver drove in a career-high five runs in the victory for the Jackrabbits. It is the first five-RBI performance by a Jackrabbit in over a year. Dumont tied her career high with three RBIs as well. Those two, along with Jarecki, Osmundson, Williams and Rozelyn Carrillo, had two hits apiece.

South Dakota State registered 14 hits in the contest. The hit total was the Jackrabbits' second highest of the 2023 season.

Notes

South Dakota State is now 31-15 overall and 13-0 in Summit League play. Kansas City fell to 8-39 overall and 3-14 in conference action.
Kniesche's streak of scoreless innings ended at 66, however the Jackrabbit starter hasn't allowed an earned run in 70 1/3 innings.
Jocelyn Carrillo had a 15-game hit streak halted in the series opener. She continued a reached base streak in the doubleheader extending it to 17.
The Jacks can clinch The Summit League regular season title on Sunday with a win over the Roos.

Up Next
South Dakota State and Kansas City complete their three-game series at 11 a.m. on Sunday, April 30, at the Urban Youth Academy.

-GoJacks.com-