PEORIA, Ill. – The Drake softball team won two games against the Bradley Braves on Saturday afternoon taking the first game, 2-1, and the second game, 10-6. Today's sweep over the Braves gives Drake head coach Rich Calvert 300 career wins.
Drake (25-16, 11-4 MVC) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning in game one on a Bradley fielding error on a ball hit by junior Nicole Randel (Alpine, Calif.) that allowed junior Amy Pierce (Olathe, Kan.) to score. The Braves tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning on a solo home run by Alex Chandler.
The Bulldogs got the deciding run in the top of the fifth with a sacrifice fly by Randel that plated Pierce. Pierce led the offense in the opening game going 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Randel went 1-for-2 with the RBI.
Junior Jordan Gronewold (Carlisle, Iowa) started for Drake and tossed 4 1/3 innings allowing one run on two hits, while walking and striking out three to earn the win (14-7). Sophomore Rebekah Schmidt (Cottage Grove, Minn.), came on in relief for her sixth save, pitching 2 2/3 scoreless innings.
In game two, Pierce and sophomore Hayley Nybo (Minnetonka, Minn.) blasted solo home runs in the top of the first inning to give Drake a 2-0 advantage. Bradley (21-21, 6-9 MVC) answered with a run in the bottom half of the frame.
The Bulldogs added another run in the second as senior Lindsey Vande Wall (Prairie City, Iowa) drew a two-out walk and came around to score on an RBI single by Pierce. The Braves answered once again in the bottom of the inning this time with two runs on a home run by Kathryn Spenn to cut Drake's lead to 3-2.
Drake broke the game open with six runs on six hits in the third inning. Gronewold ripped an RBI single for the first run and junior Cortney Wood (Alburnett, Iowa) followed with another RBI single. Two batters later and with the bases loaded, Pierce blasted her second home run of the game, to put Drake up 9-2.
Bradley cut into Drake's lead with three unearned runs in the fifth inning off of Schmidt. The Bulldogs committed two errors and allowed two hits in the inning. However, Schmidt allowed just one hit and one walk with seven strikeouts over the final two innings to pick up her seventh save.
Gronewold started in the circle and went four innings to earn the victory to improve to 15-7. Pierce had a tremendous performance at the plate in the second game going 3-for-6 with the grand slam, three runs scored and a career-high six RBI, while Nybo went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI.
The teams finish the series tomorrow with first pitch set for noon. Live stats will be available at www.GoDrakeBulldogs.
