OXFORD, Miss. - The Drake softball team split its two games on the second day of the Red & Blue Classic hosted by the University of Mississippi. Drake fell, 2-1, to the host's in the first game before bouncing back with a 7-0 victory over Mississippi Valley State in the night cap.

Mississippi (8-8) went in front, 2-0, on a two-run home run by Londen Ladner off Jordan Gronewold (Carlisle, Iowa) in the fourth inning.

Drake sophomore Hayley Nybo (Minnetonka, Minn.) blasted her third home run of the season in the sixth inning to cut into the Rebels lead, 2-1, but the Bulldogs couldn't produce any more offense the rest of the way as they dropped their second game in a row.

Gronewold took the loss pitching 3.2 innings allowing two runs on six hits while striking out two. Nybo, Nicole Randel (Alpine, Calif.) and Lindsey Vande Wall (Prairie City, Iowa) each had one hit in the loss. Vande Wall added a stolen base.

Ole Miss starter Carly Hummel tossed a complete game holding the Bulldogs to just the one run on three hits while striking out six.

After scoring just two runs combined in its previous two contests the Drake (8-6) bats erupted against Mississippi Valley State (2-9). Gronewold tossed six innings allowing just three hits while punching out seven to bounce back with a win and improve to 5-3. Freshman Mariah Mckinnon (Oxford, Iowa) saw her first action going one inning and striking out two.

The Bulldogs wasted little time putting up three runs in the first inning on two hits and one error. Laura Brewer (Waukee, Iowa) plated Nybo in the third frame and Gronewold drove in Randel later in the inning with a single. Junior college transfer Cortney Wood (Alburnett, Iowa) blasted her first career home run in the fifth inning, a two-run shot that put Drake up, 7-0, as the Bulldogs cruised to the win.

Eight Bulldogs finished with at least one hit led by Amy Pierce (Olathe, Kan.) who went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and a stolen base. Six different Bulldogs scored at least one run.

Drake returns to action tomorrow morning for its final game of the Red & Blue Classic facing UT-Martin at 9 a.m. Follow live stats at www.godrakebulldogs.com.