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Western Illinois University Athletics

ira
Sarah Twidwell
2
Western Illinois WIU 9-18, 2-6 Summit
7
Winner South Dakota State SDSU 25-9, 4-1 Summit
Western Illinois WIU
9-18, 2-6 Summit
2
Final
7
South Dakota State SDSU
25-9, 4-1 Summit
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Western Illinois WIU 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 6 2
South Dakota State SDSU 0 3 1 1 2 0 X 7 11 2

W: Kendra Conard (9-1) L: Carlin, Abby (1-8)

5
Winner Western Illinois WIU 10-18, 3-6 Summit
3
South Dakota State SDSU 25-10, 4-2 Summit
Winner
Western Illinois WIU
10-18, 3-6 Summit
5
Final
3
South Dakota State SDSU
25-10, 4-2 Summit
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Western Illinois WIU 0 0 4 0 0 1 0 5 7 2
South Dakota State SDSU 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 6 0

W: Ira, Emily (7-6) L: Olivia Douglas (2-2)

Game Recap: Softball | | WIU Athletic Communications

Leathernecks Take Series at South Dakota State

Western Illinois split the Monday doubleheader with the Jackrabbits

BROOKINGS, S.D.- Western Illinois (10-18, 3-6) softball secured its first Summit League series win of the season in a doubleheader split at South Dakota State (25-10, 4-2) on Monday, April 8. 
 
"I told the team after the first game that we need to show the effort and attack at the plate," head coach Beth Golitko said. "They definitely turned it around and had more confidence at the plate."
 
Game One (South Dakota State 7, Western Illinois 2)
 
The Jackrabbits struck first in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI single to right center by Yanney Ponce. She advanced to second on the throw placing two runners in scoring position. A wild scored Megan Rushing from third and a sac-fly by Baily Janssen brought in another run for a 3-0 SDSU advantage.
 
Ali Herdliska leads South Dakota State in home runs and showed why by knocking a two-out solo shot over the right field fence in the bottom of the third. An inning later, Janssen sent a bloop single over the head of Payton Abbott in shallow center as the Jackrabbits led 5-0.
 
Back-to-back solo homers by Herdliska and Mallory McQuistan kicked things off in the bottom of the fifth for the Jackrabbits.
 
The Leathernecks got on the board in the top of the sixth trailing 7-1 when Halle Hollatz punched a single to left center to plate Abbott. Western was not done yet in the top of the seventh following a leadoff double by Jasmine Lara. As a pinch runner, Emily Ira advanced to third and scored on an error by the SDSU shortstop. Hailey Duwa drew a walk to load the bases but one run was all that WIU produced before the score went final.
 
Abby Carlin (1-8) surrendered four earned runs on six hits with four strikeouts. Savannah Rodriguez went the rest of the way allowing two runs off four hits with one strikeout.
 
Game Two (Western Illinois 5, South Dakota State 3)
 
After dispatching the leadoff hitter via a strikeout, Ira let up a solo homer to Julia Andersen with the wind blowing out to right field.
 
The score remained 1-0 until the top of the third when Western Illinois put runners at the corners with nobody out. Sydney Hollings reached on a fielder's choice while Lara beat the tag at home to even the score. WIU loaded the bases for the second time of the game and the pitcher delivered. Ira helped her own cause by lining a bases-clearing double to the gap for a 4-1 lead.
 
"Emily has been seeing the ball really well," Golitko said. "She changed her mindset a little bit and put a good bat on some pitches during the series."
 
South Dakota State chipped away at the deficit in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single to left field from Janssen.
 
An insurance run came across for the Leathernecks in the top of the sixth. Back-to-back singles by Sidney Bottino and Alyssa Ealy kept the inning alive as Lara dragged a single into shallow right field allowing Bottino to score from second.
 
Western led 5-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh as the Jackrabbits manufactured another run but that is all the home team managed. Ira (7-6) dealt another complete game allowing two earned runs on six hits with eight strikeouts.
 
Western Illinois concludes non-league play with a doubleheader UIC on Saturday (April 13) scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.  
 
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