Saturday, April 16, 2011
DES MOINES, Iowa – With a strikeout in the third inning of game one, senior pitcher Jenna DeLong registered her 671st career punch out, breaking Laurie Bowden's (1990-93) 18-year-old record for career strikeouts and helping the Drake University Softball team to a doubleheader sweep over UNI Saturday at Ron Buel Field. The Bulldogs won both games by a 3-2 score and improved to 26-14 overall and a conference-best 12-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference.
DeLong (Dalton Gardens, Idaho) earned the win in both contests and struck out 13 on the day, putting her at 681 career strikeouts. Her two wins on the day moved her to an MVC-best 8-0 in conference play.
The senior tossed seven innings in the opener, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits while striking out 12. She tossed the seventh in game two, allowing one run on one hit.
Both contests ended with wild finishes, including a walk-off wild pitch in the opener and yet another dramatic, seventh-inning moment from freshman Amy Pierce (Olathe, Kan.) in game two.
Pierce entered her third bases-loaded, seventh-inning situation in three weeks and came through with a single to center to win the game. The freshman stepped to the plate in the same situation April 6 against Iowa and April 12 against Iowa State. Pierce delivered hard-hit balls to centerfield on all three occasions, including walk-off hits against Iowa and today against UNI.
Senior Molly McClelland (West Des Moines, Iowa) was called safe on a play at the plate after a wild pitch in the seventh inning of game one, breaking the 2-2 tie and giving Drake a 3-2 victory. McClelland originally reached base in the seventh on a failed suicide squeeze after Torey Craddock (Tucson, Ariz.) doubled to open the inning and moved to third on a bunt by Erin Mollohan (Tinley Park, Ill.).
Freshman Jordan Gronewold (Carlisle, Iowa) tossed six solid innings in game two, allowing one run on seven hits while striking out two for a no-decision.
The Drake offense was outhit 14-11 on the day, including 8-5 in game two.
The Bulldogs wore green uniforms during both games to raise awareness for Hodgkin's-Lymphoma. The jerseys were auctioned off during the doubleheader with all proceeds going toward cancer research.
Drake closes its three-game MVC series with UNI Sunday at noon.
