DES
MOINES, IOWA - The Drake softball team scored one run on two outs in the ninth
inning of the first half of a doubleheader against Illinois State to earn a 1-0
Missouri Valley Conference victory Friday. The Redbirds took the second game,
3-2.
Sophomore Erin
Bly
(Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way East) led Drake with two
hits, including the game-winning hit in the ninth inning. Freshman Torey
Craddock (Tucson, Ariz./Salpointe Catholic) collected the Bulldogs only other hit of the game.
Junior Bridget
Shields
(Iowa City, Iowa/West) reached on an error and advanced to second on single
through the right side by Craddock. Bly connected on a hit to right center to
score Shields and give the Bulldogs the 1-0 extra-inning triumph.
Jenna
DeLong went the distance for Drake, striking out 10 and allowing five hits in
the win.
Illinois
State left 10 runners on base in the contest.
Drake
moved to 22-15 on the campaign with a 7-3 MVC record, while Illinois State is 18-17
with a 6-6 league mark. The Bulldogs and Redbirds play the final game of the
series Saturday (April 11) at noon.
In
the second game of the twinbill, Illinois State jumped to a 3-1 lead, scoring one
run in the first inning and two in the second.
Drake
scored in the bottom of the first inning when Bly singled to left field,
scoring junior
Elena
Leon (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley), who opened the inning with a walk.
The
Bulldogs added another run in the second inning off a junior Kelsey
Kahler
(North Liberty, Iowa/Clear Creek-Amana) homerun, cutting the lead to 3-2.
Drake
threatened in the sixth inning when Craddock opened the inning with a single
through the right side and stole second. DeLong singled to third base,
advancing Craddock to third with one out. Sophomore Molly
McClelland (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley) then popped up to
the pitcher, doubling up Craddock who was executing the squeeze play.
Sophomore
pitcher Brynne
Dordel (Chanhassen,
Minn./Chaska) fell to 8-7 on the season, striking out five and allowing seven
hits in 5.1 innings.
DeLong
collected two hits to lead Drake at the plate.
