TUCSON, Ariz. - The Drake softball team blanked Utah State (0-9) topping the Aggies, 5-0, in its first game of the day at the Hillenbrand Invitational.

The Bulldogs put up four of their five runs in the fifth inning. Junior Nicole Randel (Alpine, Calif.) drove in the first run on a fielder's choice, and sophomore Laura Brewer (Waukee, Iowa) plated Hayley Nybo (Minnetonka, Minn.) on a double. Two more runs scored on bases loaded walks. Randel's RBI single gave the Bulldogs their final run in the sixth inning.

Randel and Brewer led the offensive charge for Drake each going 2-for-4 from the plate and scoring a run. Randel had two runs batted in while Brewer had one. Junior Amy Pierce (Olathe, Kan.) went 2-for-5 with a run scored and a stolen base.  

Junior Jordan Gronewold (Carlisle, Iowa) pitched five scoreless innings against the Aggies and collected her fourth win of the season. She allowed three hits and struck out two. Rebekah Schmidt (Cottage Grove, Minn.) pitched the final two innings, collecting four strikeouts and giving up a hit.

Nebraska (8-1) shut out Drake in its second game of the day, 2-0, as the Cornhuskers limited the Bulldogs to just four hits.

Schmidt pitched four innings allowing two runs on six hits while striking out two and walking two. The loss drops her record to 1-3 on the year. Gronewold started and went three innings allowing four hits and zero runs.

Senior Sam West (Kearney, Mo.) paced the Drake offense going 2-for-3 while Pierce and Brewer each had one hit.

The Cornhuskers scored their first run on an RBI double by Tatum Edwards in the fourth inning and added another run the next inning on an RBI single by Brooke Thomason.

Drake (5-4) closes its weekend in Arizona tomorrow with a 10 a.m. CST matchup against Southern Utah. Live stats will be available on www.GoDrakeBulldogs.com.