STILLWATER, Okla. - The Drake University knocked off league-mate Missouri State, 8-6, before dropping a pitching battle to Oklahoma State, 2-0, on the opening day of the Mizuno Classic
Megan Sowa (Gurnee, Ill.), the Missouri Valley Conference newcomer of the week, singled home Hayley Nybo (Minnetonka, Minn.) for the first run of the Missouri State game in the top of the first inning for Drake (6-15).
Missouri State (11-6) scored two runs in the bottom half of the first inning, taking advantage of three Drake errors in the second frame to grab a 3-1 lead.
The Bulldogs reclaimed the lead in the third inning, flipping the switch by taking advantage of two Lady Bears' errors, while pounding out four hits and scoring two runs to go up 5-3.
Laura Brewer (Waukee, Iowa) blasted her first home run of the year, a two-run shot in the fourth inning. Brewer's home run helped Drake weather an RBI double and a solo home run by Missouri State. Brewer added an insurance run in the sixth frame with an RBI double of her own.
Rebekah Schmidt (Cottage Grove, Minn.) pitched 3.1 innings in relief, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks along with two strikeouts. She earned the decision to improve to 5-8 on the season. Senior Jordan Gronewold (Carlisle, Iowa) started and tossed 3.2 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and one walk.
Brewer, who entered the contest in the second inning as a defensive replacement at second base, guided the Bulldogs at the plate going 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and three runs batted in. Amy Pierce (Olathe, Kan.), Nicole Randel (Alpine, Calif.), Cortney Wood (Alburnett, Iowa), Sarah Ryan (Mount Vernon, Iowa) and Sowa each collected two hits.
Sophomore Mariah McKinnon (Oxford, Iowa) started in the circle against the Cowgirls and had her best performance of the young season. McKinnon pitched 4.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks. She took the tough loss to fall to 1-5 overall. Schmidt made another relief appearance and went 2.2 innings, allowing just one hit.
Oklahoma State (13-7) scored the only runs in the game in the fifth inning. The first run off an RBI double by Tarah Ettinger, who later scored after Schmidt drilled Whitney Whitehorn with the bases loaded.
Senior Liz Buck (Olathe, Kan.) and Sowa recorded the only hits for the Bulldogs off Whitehorn, who tossed a complete game shutout and added two strikeouts.
Drake returns to the diamond tomorrow for games with No. 17 Minnesota at 1:30 p.m. and Oklahoma State at 7 p.m. The Bulldogs close the Mizuno Classic on Sunday with a rematch with the Gophers at 10 a.m. Follow live stats for each game at the attached links.
