GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The Drake softball team crushed Presbyterian College, 9-1, in five innings before losing, 4-1, to the No. 4 Florida Gators on day two of the University of Florida tournament.

Drake (11-8) jumped in front, 1-0, in the top of the first inning on a double steal by Lindsey Vande Wall (Prairie City, Iowa) to second and Amy Pierce (Olathe, Kan.) stole home.

Florida (20-1) answered in the bottom of the first scoring on a bases loaded walk drawn by Stephanie Toff that scored Kirsti Merrit. The Gators went ahead, 2-1, in the bottom of the second inning on a solo home run by Jessica Damico.

The Gators added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on a solo shot by Lauren Haegar and an RBI double by Tofft.

The Bulldogs were held to just one hit by Hannah Rogers, who tossed a complete game allowing one run, while striking out 11 and walking two to move to 9-1 this season.

Junior Nicole Randel (Alpine, Calif.) went 1-for-3 at the plate. Pierce finished with one run scored and two stolen bases. She is 16-of-16 on the base paths this year.

Junior Jordan Gronewold (Carlisle, Iowa) took the loss to go to 7-5 on the year. She went just one inning allowing two runs on two hits. Sophomore Rebekah Schmidt (Cottage Grove, Minn.) pitched well going five innings allowing two runs on two hits, while punching out 11.

In their first game against Presbyterian (6-7), the Bulldogs put one run on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning. Pierce led off with a single, stole second and came around on a throwing error by catcher Jennifer Marshall.

Drake poured it on in the bottom of the third inning with seven runs on six hits. Sophomore Hayley Nybo (Minnetonka, Minn.) hit her team-leading fourth home run of the year to drive in two runs, while Pierce blasted her second home run in two days. Pierce added two more runs later in the frame with a single to center field.

Vande Wall ended the game in the fifth inning with a solo home run, her first of the season.

Gronewold pitched three innings allowing just one hit, while striking out three to earn her seventh win this season. Freshman Mariah Mckinnon (Oxford, Iowa) tossed two innings in the circle giving up two hits, one run and striking out two.

Pierce finished 3-for-3 with a home run, a stolen base, two runs scored and three RBI. Nybo went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI, while Gronewold collected one run scored, one hit and one RBI. Randel went 2-for-3 with one run scored.

Drake concludes the Florida tournament with an 8:30 a.m. CST matchup tomorrow morning against Mount St. Mary's. Live stats will be available at www.godrakebulldog.com.