DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University softball team captured both games against Illinois State on Saturday at Ron Buel Field. Playing its annual cancer awareness game that benefited the Team Kelsey Foundation this season, the Bulldogs won game one, 4-1, and game two, 4-3, to improve to 23-15, 9-3 MVC on the year.
Nicole Randel (Alpine, Calif.) powered the Drake offense today with a 6-for-6 performance in the two contests, including a home run with two RBI and a run scored in game one. Randel's batting average rose to .340, which ranks third on the team and she is now second on the team in RBI with 27.
Sophomore Laura Brewer (Waukee, Iowa) added two hits in the first game, while seniors Amy Pierce (Olathe, Kan.) and Macie Silliman (Winterset, Iowa) each had two hits in the second game.
Sophomore pitcher Rebekah Schmidt (Cottage Grove, Minn.) had an outstanding day in relief pitching a combined 8 2/3 innings, allowing just four hits and zero runs, while striking out nine and walking two. She earned the win in game two to improve to 10-8 on the year.
Hayley Nybo (Minnetonka, Minn.) put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard first in game one with a sacrifice fly in the third inning and Randel followed with an RBI single to extend the lead to 2-0.
Elizabeth Kay, the top hitter in the MVC coming into today, gave the Redbirds their only run in game one with a solo home run the next inning. Drake answered in the bottom half of the frame as Liz Buck (Overland Park, Kan.) ripped an RBI single to the right center gap to put Drake up 3-1. Randel added an insurance run in the fifth inning with a solo home run, her fourth of the year, to push Drake's lead to 4-1.
Junior Jordan Gronewold (Carlisle, Iowa) pitched 4 2/3 innings allowing one run on three hits, while walking five and striking out four to earn the win in game one and move to 13-7.
Illinois State (20-17, 5-5 MVC) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning in game two behind four hits. Gronewold and Schmidt allowed just three more hits in the contest.
Drake came right back with three runs in the bottom of the frame. Randel blasted a double off the left field wall to plate Silliman, before Gronewold ripped an RBI single to score Randel and Nybo. Silliman reached with a one-out base hit and Nybo followed with a walk.
Silliman gave the Bulldogs the deciding run the next inning with an RBI single. It's just the sixth run batted in for Silliman this season but it was a big one to help the Bulldogs hold on for the win.
As part of the cancer awareness game the team held a silent auction for their special pink game worn jerseys and sold special pink Team Kelsey shirts for $15. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Team Kelsey Foundation. Kelsey Michelson was a student at Southeast Polk High School, who passed away last December from a cancerous brain tumor. The Bulldogs became involved with Kelsey and her family through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, an organization dedicated to pairing college athletic teams with children with pediatric brain tumors.
Drake and Illinois State finish the series tomorrow with a single game scheduled for noon.
