DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University softball team was edged by in-state rival Iowa, 2-0, Tuesday night at Ron Buel Field.
 
Iowa (18-29) scored its first run of the game with a second inning leadoff home run by Brooke Rozier before adding an insurance run in the third inning. Lea Thompson led off the inning for the Hawkeyes with a walk before stealing second and later scored on a sacrifice fly.
 
Freshman Aryka Knoche (Little Canada, Minn.) started the game for the Drake (25-26). Knoche pitched three innings and allowed two runs on five hits with and two walks. Her record moved to 2-6 with the loss. Junior Kailee Smith (Murrieta, Calif.) entered the game in the fourth after a leadoff double but retired three straight batters to leave the runner at second. Smith pitched a strong four innings and allowed just two hits while striking out four and allowing one walk.
 
In her first start of the season, senior Maddie Hooyman (Trenton, Mo.) led the Bulldogs with a pair of singles. Junior Tasha Alexander (Eddyville, Iowa) also added two hits.
 
Drake threatened to score in the fifth inning after Hooyman and freshman Mandi Roemmich (West Des Moines, Iowa) led off with back-to-back singles. A flyout by senior Megan Sowa (Gurnee, Ill.) and a double play by sophomore Taryn Pena (Columbia, Ill.) left the runners stranded though. The Bulldogs left eight runners stranded in the game.
 
Drake will look to secure its spot in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament as Loyola visits Des Moines for a crucial three-game series this weekend.  The Bulldogs will take on the Ramblers in a doubleheader on Saturday with first pitch set for 12 p.m. before concluding the series Sunday with an 11 a.m. matchup.