DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University softball team struggled to find its offensive rhythm Friday afternoon after a nine-day layoff dropping a pair of games to Missouri State, 3-2 and 6-2, at Ron Buel Field.
The losses drop Drake to 18-12 overall and 4-2 in the Missouri Valley Conference, while Missouri State improves to 14-15 overall and 5-2 in the MVC. The series finale will be tomorrow morning with first pitch moved up one hour to 11 a.m. due to forecasted rain.
Junior Jordan Gronewold (Carlisle, Iowa) started the first game of the doubleheader tossing five innings and striking out one, while allowing one run on four hits. Sophomore Rebekah Schmidt (Cottage Grove, Minn.) relieved Gronewold in the sixth inning. The sophomore struggled in her one inning of action, allowing two runs on two hits, and took the loss for the Bulldogs. Her record is now 8-6 on the season.
Sophomores Hayley Nybo (Minnetonka, Minn.) and Laura Brewer (Waukee, Iowa) led the Bulldogs offensively as each went 2-for-3 and with one RBI.
The Bulldogs opened up the scoring in the top of the first inning, as Nybo plated junior Amy Pierce (Olathe, Kan.) from second base on a single to center field.
Missouri State responded in the bottom of the second inning with Stevie Pierce's double off the right field wall to score Ciara Flau. The Drake defense tightened after as Pierce was stranded at third.
Drake broke the tie in the top of the sixth inning, with Brewer driving in freshman pinch runner Mariah Mckinnon (Oxford, Iowa) to give the Bulldogs a 2-1. However, Lauren Eisenreich put the Lady Bears back on top in the bottom of the frame, scoring two runners on a two-out double, to give MSU a 3-2 lead and the win.
Gronewold once again got the start for Drake in the second game of the afternoon, but lasted just an inning before being relieved by McKinnon in the second inning. Gronewold allowed four runs (two earned) on four hits, and took the loss to fall to 10-6 on the year. McKinnon pitched a third of an inning, allowing a run, before Schmidt took over. Schmidt pitched 4.2 innings allowing one run on two hits while striking out one.
Pierce led the Drake offense in the second game with a 2-for-4 performance with a solo home run, her sixth of the year. Brewer finished 2-for-3 with a RBI.
Pierce started the second game with a leadoff home run to give Drake an early advantage at 1-0. Missouri State responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
The Lady Bears continued momentum in the bottom of the second inning, adding three more runs. MSU put one more on the board in the third inning. The Bulldogs scored one run in the top of the sixth on an RBI double by Brewer.
