SDSU FALLS IN TWINBILL TO ROOS

Thursday, April 2

Kansas City, Mo.

3 p.m.

South Dakota State University

20-21, 5-2

Kansas City

10-20, 1-6

Kansas City

South Dakota St.

A woman in a white softball uniform throws a ball in the air and leans on her left leg during her follow through

Emma Christensen

Photo by: Mario Terrana

4/2/2026 8:38:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Andrew Pedersen

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – South Dakota State softball fell in consecutive games as a part of a doubleheader at Kansas City on Thursday. The Jackrabbits fell by 10-4 and 7-5 scores to the Roos at the Urban Youth Academy in Summit League play.

Game One
SDSU went down 3-1 in the first inning and was unable to recover as the Jackrabbits eventually lost the opener, 10-4, to Kansas City.

The Roos took advantage of a bases loaded situation without producing a hit in the process. A two-out single plated two runs, then a wild pitch scored another as Kansas City got out in front in the top of the first.

SDSU scored a run in the bottom of the frame on an RBI single by Emma Christensen. She recorded another RBI single for the Jackrabbits in the fourth as the score was 3-2 heading to the fifth.

Three run producing hits for the Roos put them ahead by a 6-2 score in the top of the inning. A two-run home run for SDSU's Akayla Barnard cut it to 6-4 in the bottom of the fifth.

Kansas City broke the game open for good in the sixth with a four-run inning, highlighted by a three-run home run for the Roos' Megan Johnston.

South Dakota State was held to just five hits in the game. Four of those came via Christensen and Barnard. Abby Gentry also recorded a hit. Barnard was credited for the loss after she began the game as the starting pitcher for SDSU.

Game Two
The Jackrabbits held a 2-1 lead through four innings, but a pair of three-run frames for the Roos propelled them to a 7-5 victory.

Barnard and Emma Vike had RBIs in the first to put SDSU in front. Starting pitcher Madi Mangulis kept the Roos off the board until the third when the Roos capitalized on a wild pitch to score a run. Mangulis kept the score at 2-1 in the circle until the fifth when Kansas City's bats got hot.

The Roos picked up three runs, all coming with two outs, behind three hits and a walk to jump ahead by a 4-2 score in the top of the frame. Kansas City recorded another four hits and another walk to score three more runs in the sixth to go ahead, 7-2.

An Alivya Bollen walk and Christensen single set SDSU's Bria Riebel up in the bottom of the inning. She hit a two-out, three-run home run to make it a 7-5 ballgame.

SDSU came back to the plate in the seventh looking for a rally. Gentry hit a lead-off single, but was doubled up which thwarted the Jackrabbit comeback bid.

South Dakota State had nine hits in the second game of the series. Christensen was 3-for-3 at the plate. She was followed by Riebel and Gentry who had two hits apiece. Mangulis gave up four runs across 4 2/3 innings and was credited with the defeat in the circle.

UP NEXT
South Dakota State and Kansas City wrap up their three-game series on Friday with an 11 p.m. first pitch at Urban Youth Academy.

-GoJacks.com-