DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University softball team used a big fourth inning to break the game open and avoid a weekend sweep against Missouri State, winning 13-5 Saturday afternoon at Ron Buel Field.
Drake (19-12, 5-2 MVC) was led by the impressive offensive efforts of junior Jordan Gronewold (Carlisle, Iowa), who hit for the cycle and scored four times. She had four RBI, thanks to her sixth inning grand slam off the right field scoreboard. Senior Macie Silliman (Winterset, Iowa) was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and junior Cortney Wood (Alburnett, Iowa) also was 2-for-4. Drake finished with 14 hits against Missouri State's (14-16, 5-3 MVC) pitching staff.
Gronewold got the start for Drake, but had control issues, lasting two innings. She allowed five hits, one run, and two walks and hit one batter, while striking out two. Sophomore Rebekah Schmidt (Cottage Grove, Minn.) relieved Gronewold and improved her record to 9-6. Schmidt pitched four innings, allowing six hits and four runs. All four runs came in the final inning with the game in Drake's control.
The Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning, with senior Sam West (Kearney, Mo.) scoring Gronewold from third on a single to center field. Drake had bases loaded and three hits in the inning, but could only get one runner home. The Lady Bears responded in the bottom of the frame, with three straight hits to score one run.
Gronewold put the Bulldogs on top for good in the fourth inning. She blasted a leadoff double off the top of the left field fence and made it around the bases two batters later, beating the throw home on Schmidt's slow roller to the shortstop. Drake continued added five more runs in the inning, with junior Amy Pierce (Olathe, Kan.), sophomore Hayley Nybo (Minnetonka, Minn.) and junior Nicole Randel (Alpine, Calif.) driving runners home to give the Bulldogs a 7-1 lead.
Gronewold scored again in the fifth inning, on Schmidt's sacrifice fly, to increase Drake's lead to 8-1. Gronewold led off the inning with a triple, her first of the season and second of her career.
Continuing her impressive day at the plate, Gronewold blasted a grand slam off of the scoreboard to increase the Drake lead to 13-1 in the sixth inning.
Missouri State scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth, with a pair of two-run home runs with two outs, to cut into the Bulldogs' lead, 13-5.
MSU was led by Mary Stephens, who batted 3-for-4 on the afternoon. Pinch hitters Rebecca McPherson and Braxton Coil each hit two-run home runs in the sixth inning.
Drake continues its home stand on Wednesday, hosting the Iowa Hawkeyes with first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m. at Ron Buel Field.
