Wednesday, April 20, 2011

OMAHA, Neb. – Senior pitcher Jenna DeLong earned two wins, allowed just two hits and struck out 23 in 11.1 total innings to lead the Drake University softball team to a doubleheader sweep over Missouri Valley Conference rival Creighton Wednesday afternoon. Drake downed Creighton 5-0 behind DeLong's one-hit shutout in the opener and won game two 5-3 with the senior coming on in relief. The Bulldogs, winners of five-straight, improved to 29-15 overall and an MVC-best 15-1 in conference play.
   
DeLong (Dalton Gardens, Idaho) started the opener with 13 consecutive strikeouts en route to tying her career high with 16 in game one. The reigning MVC Pitcher of the Week entered in relief of freshman Jordan Gronewold (Carlisle, Iowa) in game two, tossing 4.1 shutout innings to earn the win. DeLong improved to 11-0 in Valley play and 18-4 overall.

The sweep gave Drake 15 wins in conference play, the most ever.

Drake scored four runs in the first inning, powered by a two-run double by senior catcher Erin Mollohan (Tinley Park, Ill.). Drake added one more in the second on an RBI double by senior Molly McClelland (West Des Moines, Iowa) that scored freshman Amy Pierce (Olathe, Kan.) and gave Drake its final, five-run tally.

Mollohan led Drake with two hits in the opener and three on the day. Freshman Nicole Randel (Alpine, Calif.) also tallied three hits, including two in game two.

Randel scored the go-ahead run in the fourth inning of game two on a two-run single to left by DeLong. Her run followed a second-inning solo home run by Pierce, her third.

McClelland finished the afternoon 1-for-3 and now leads Drake with a .326 season average.

The MVC-leading Bulldogs host second-place Illinois State in a three-game series this weekend at Ron Buel Field. The series kicks off with a doubleheader Friday beginning at noon.