Jacks split on Saturday to get back to .500

Saturday, February 23

Ft. Myers, Florida

1 p.m. ET

South Dakota State University

St. Bonaventure

2/23/2008 1:00:00 AM | Softball

By: SDSU Sports Info

FORT MYERS, Fla. ? South Dakota State came up short in its first game on Saturday against Boston College, 5-4, at the FGCU Spring Break Invitational in Fort Myers, Fla., but rebounded it the second game with a 6-2 win over St. Bonaventure to even its record at 4-4 heading into Sunday's rematch with Florida Gulf Coast.

Boston College 5, SDSU 4

Down 4-2 to Boston College after three innings, the Jackrabbits scored single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, but left the tying and go-ahead runs on base in both the sixth and seventh innings.

The loss sends the Jacks to 3-4 on the season, while Boston College improves to 4-4 with the win.

The Eagles opened the scoring with an unearned run in the first inning, but the Jacks quickly came back to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning.

Sam Heinzman drew a walk to start the inning, and then advanced to second base on a Brooke Postma sacrifice bunt.

Heinzman then stole third and scored on a Kiley Schwedhelm sacrifice fly to tie the game at 1-1.

After holding BC scoreless in the second, Dani Broshar drew a walk and eventually scored the go-ahead run on a Jessica Vineyard triple to give the Jacks a 2-1 lead after two complete innings.

The lead did not last though, as Boston College rallied for four runs on four hits in the top of the third to go back on top 5-2.

SDSU made it 5-3 in the bottom of the fifth inning, capitalizing on a pair of Eagle miscues to push Brooke Postma across for the Jacks third run of the game.

Still down by a pair of runs in the sixth, Vineyard opened the inning with a single, and then advanced to second on a Greta Stroh sac bunt.

Heinzman followed with a single to left and advance to second on the throw that kept Vineyard at third.

Brooke Postma reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases with one out, bringing up Schwedhelm, who hit her second sac fly of the game to score Vineyard and get the Jacks to within one run at 5-4.

Stacey Evans came up next and drew a walk, but the rally ended when a Broshar fly ball would not fall.

The Jacks mounted another threat in the seventh, but it ended with runners on second and third base.

SDSU 6, St. Bonaventure 2

South Dakota State wasted little time in its second game of the day getting ahead of St. Bonaventure, as the Jackrabbits plated two runs in the first inning.

Heinzman opened the game with a double through the left side to get things started.

Two batters later, Schwedhelm singled and advanced to second on an error, which also allowed Heinzman to get to third base with just one out.

Broshar drew a two-out walk to load the bases before Brittany Postma came through with a two-RBI single up the middle to score Heinzman and Schwedhelm for a 2-0 Jackrabbit lead.

The Jacks struck again in the third, when Vineyard hit a two-out single to score Brittany Postma and give SDSU a 3-0 lead.

The Bonnies bounced back with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings, but the Jackrabbits put the game away with three more runs in the seventh.

Schwedhelm opened the inning with a single, Stacey Evans came up next and reached after being hit by a pitch.

That brought up Broshar, who knocked a double through the right side to scored Schwedhelm from second and give the Jacks a 4-2 lead.

Two batters later, Ashley Durazo smacked her first career triple down the right field line, scoring both Broshar and Evans to give the Jackrabbits a comfortable 6-2 lead.

Durazo finished the game going 3-for-4 at the plate with a triple and a pair of RBI, while Vineyard went 2-for-2 with an RBI. Brittany Postma and Schwedhelm both went 2-for-4, and Brittany added a pair of RBI.

The Bonnies tried to mount a comeback in the seventh, but Marston, who has pitched every Jackrabbit inning so far this season, got the final Bonnie batter to ground out to shortstop to end the game.

The Jackrabbits play one more game in the Florida sun, a rematch with the host FGCU Eagles on Sunday at 8 a.m.