DES MOINES, Iowa – A three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning helped Wichita State edge the Drake University softball team, 7-4, Sunday afternoon at Ron Buel Field.
Wichita State (28-18, 14-5 MVC) swept the series over Drake (24-21, 12-7 MVC) as the Shockers are now in sole possession of first place in the conference after UNI lost to Missouri State Sunday afternoon. The Bulldogs are in third place as they will host the Panthers Wednesday night at 6 p.m.
Liz Broyles hit the deciding home run off Drake starting pitcher
Nicole Newman (Madison, Wis.). Newman pitched seven innings and allowed seven run on 10 hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Her record dropped to 17-11 with the loss.
Sophomore
Kailee Smith (Murrieta, Calif.) led Drake's offense with two hits and two runs batted in along with scoring one run. Freshman
Gabbie Jonas (Omaha, Neb.) and Newman had the Bulldogs' other RBI.
Drake got on the scoreboard first in the top of the first inning as Smith delivered a two-run single that scored sophomore
Kelsey Wright (Olathe, Kan.) and junior
Megan Sowa (Gurnee, Ill.).
Wichita State took the lead at 4-2 in the top of the third inning with four runs on three hits, but Drake answered in the bottom of the frame with two runs to tie the game at 4-4. Newman helped her cause with an RBI single and Jonas followed with a fielder's choice for the other run. The next batter, sophomore
Tasha Alexander (Eddyville, Iowa), just missed driving in a pair as she hit a hard shot to right field that the WSU right fielder made a nice running catch to get out of the inning.
Drake nearly took the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Wright led off with a single and advanced to second on a fielder's choice by Sowa. Freshman
Taryn Pena (Columbia, Ill.) then came up and hit a rocket that Broyles, playing third base, snared to rob Pena of a hit and the go-ahead run.
Drake travels to Iowa State for its final non-conference game of the season with first pitch set for 4 p.m. before returning to host UNI Wednesday night at 6 p.m.
