JACKRABBITS DROP MIDWEEK DOUBLEHEADER TO SHOCKERS

Tuesday, March 17

Wichita, Kan.

2 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Wichita State (DH)

A woman in a blue softball uniform gathers momentum towards home plate while winding up to throw a pitch

Hailey Herman

Photo by: Miranda Sampson

3/17/2026 8:48:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Andrew Pedersen

WICHITA, Kan. – South Dakota State played a pair of games as a part of a doubleheader against Wichita State at the Shockers' Wilkins Stadium on Tuesday. The Jackrabbits fell 12-5 and 3-1 in the meetings, marking their final games before the start of Summit League softball play.

Game One
The Jacks hit three home runs to jump out to a 5-1 lead after three innings, but the Shockers scored a combined 11 runs across the fourth and fifth innings en route to a 12-5 win.

Akayla Barnard hit a solo home run in the first, Quinn Marnocha blasted a three-run home run in the second and Ella Berlage smacked the first home run of her career in the third to put SDSU ahead 5-1.

Freshman Grace Proctor got the start in the circle for the Jackrabbits. She held the Shockers at bay over her first three innings of work, but Wichita State's bats picked up in the fourth. They'd tie the score at 5-5 heading to the fifth.

Both teams went to their bullpens in the latter part of the game. SDSU tallied just one hit over a four-inning span off Shockers reliever Gabby Fakes. Wichita State scored seven runs in the fifth off of five hits and three free passes to break the game open.

SDSU recorded five hits in the game led by Emma Vike's two singles. She also drew a walk to finish the game 2-for-2 at the plate. Proctor eventually found her way back into the game at pitcher and threw 5 1/3 innings.

Game Two
South Dakota State received a strong outing from pitcher Hailey Herman in a 3-1 defeat to Wichita State.

The Shockers took advantage of two early walks in the second inning. Wichita State had two players log RBI singles in the frame to go ahead 2-0.

Herman continued to work against the Shocker lineup and worked around several threats. She'd limit Wichita State to a solo home run in the sixth. Herman threw six innings and allowed three earned runs on four hits. She struck out two batters but walked six.

The Jackrabbits were held in check by Wichita State starter Ava Sliger. SDSU produced just three hits in the ballgame which came off the bats of Berlage, Proctor and Abby Gentry. Barnard scored SDSU's lone run on an RBI single by Gentry in the top of the sixth.

UP NEXT
South Dakota State is scheduled to begin the Summit League softball slate on Friday. The Jackrabbits and South Dakota Coyotes are expected to begin a three-game series at 3 p.m. in Vermillion at Nygaard Field. The series serves as a part of the First Interstate Series, presented by First Interstate Bank.

-GoJacks.com-