DES MOINES, Iowa - The Drake Bulldogs split Saturday's doubleheader with the Missouri State Bears at Ron Buel Field. Missouri State (15-12, 4-4 MVC) rallied to win game one, 3-2 and Drake (14-16, 7-1 MVC) rallied to win game two, 4-2.

In game one, starting pitcher Jordan Gronewold (Carlisle, Iowa) put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard first with a solo home run over the left-field wall. Macie Silliman (Winterset, Iowa) singled and stole second and came around to score on Amy Pierce's (Olathe, Kan.) double in the third inning to extend the Dogs lead to, 2-0.

Caitlin Chapin drove home the Bears first run in the fourth inning with an RBI double to cut the deficit to 2-1. In the fifth inning, Rebekah Schmidt (Cottage Grove, Minn.) replaced Gronewold after a leadoff walk to Ashley Brentz. Brentz advanced to third on an error by Schmidt on a sacrifice bunt and then a passed ball and was driven home on a groundout by Stevie Pearce to tie the game at 2-2.

The Bears took the lead for good in the sixth inning. Lauren Eisenreich took a one-out walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Eisenreich stole third and came around to score on another error by Schmidt.

Schmidt took the loss in game one to fall to 3-6 on the season. Missouri State's Natalie Rose went the distance as she allowed two runs on six hits with four strikeouts and improved to 11-4 on the season.

Jaimie Duffek (Brookfield, Ill.) finished 2-3 and Gronewold, Silliman and Lindsay Vande Wall (Prairie City, Iowa) each collected one hit.

Missouri State took the early lead in game two, getting two runs off two hits against Gronewold in the second inning to stake an early lead, 2-0.

Drake battled back and used a big fourth inning to take the lead. Silliman and Pierce led off with back-to-back singles and Torey Craddock (Tucson, Ariz.) and Hayley Nybo (Minnetonka, Minn.) followed with back-to-back unassisted fielder's choices to MSU third baseman Heather Duckworth. That left Craddock and Nybo on first and second and Vande Wall followed with her second home run of the season to give the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead. Laura Brewer (Waukee, Iowa) added a pinch hit RBI single later in the inning to extend the Bulldogs lead to 4-2.

Gronewold pitched five innings and allowed two runs on six hits to improve to 11-10 and Schmidt came on in relief and tossed two innings to earn her fifth save of the season. Chelsea Jones pitched six innings and allowed four runs on seven hits and took the loss to fall to 3-7 on the season.

Vande Wall finished 1-3 with one run scored, three RBI and a walk.

Drake and Missouri State will close out the series on Sunday. First pitch is set for noon at Ron Buel Field.