DES MOINES, Iowa - The Drake Bulldogs (19-24, 10-9 MVC) dropped two games Saturday at Ron Buel Field to the Southern Illinois Salukis (30-12, 14-4 MVC), losing the first game 6-5, and the second game, 13-0.

Sophomore Jordan Gronewold (Carlisle, Iowa) started the first game for the Bulldogs as she lasted two and a third innings, striking out one and she allowed five runs on three hits and four walks before freshman Rebekah Schmidt (Cottage Grove, Minn.) came on in relief. Schmidt pitched four and two thirds innings and allowed one run on four hits. She struggled with her command walking six and allowed the winning run by SIU in the seventh on a wild pitch.

Senior Torey Craddock (Tucson, Ariz.) hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning to give Drake the early lead, 2-0.

SIU would take the lead in the top of the second inning, as Morgan Barchman hit a three-run home run off the left field foul pole. The Salukis would extend its lead to 5-2 in the third, one run from a Haley Gorman solo shot.

The Bulldogs tied the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the sixth inning as freshman Hayley Nybo (Minnetonka, Minn.) hit a three-run home run.

Craddock finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI and Nybo was 1-for-3 with one run scored and three RBI.

Drake had no answer for the Salukis in game two. SIU scored three runs in the first inning and two in the second to jump ahead, 5-0.

The Salukis would extend their lead to, 10-0, in the top of the third inning as Kelsea Ashton started the scoring with a two-RBI base hit.

SIU added three more runs in the fourth inning and the game was called after five innings.

Sam West (Kearney, Mo.) led the Bulldogs at the plate going 2-for-3 in game two. Gronewold took the loss to fall to 14-17 on the season.

Drake will try to avoid the sweep tomorrow when the series continues with a 12 p.m. game.