EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Drake University softball team split its doubleheader against Evansville Saturday afternoon. The Purple Aces won the opening game, 8-2, but the Bulldogs bounced back with a 4-2 victory in the second game.
With the score tied at 2-2 in the seventh inning of the second contest, Drake (12-24, 4-7 MVC) senior Amy Pierce (Olathe, Kan.) was hit by a pitch to open the frame. Pierce then stole second base and moved to third base on a groundout by senior Liz Buck (Overland Park, Kan.). The next batter freshman Megan Sowa (Gurnee, Ill.) followed with a bunt single to bring in Pierce for the deciding run. Junior Laura Brewer (Waukee, Iowa) added an insurance run two batters later with an RBI double.
Holding a 4-2 lead, junior Rebekah Schmidt (Cottage Grove, Minn.) made quick work of the Aces (16-22, 4-9 MVC) in the circle, as she allowed just one hit in their final at-bat as the Bulldogs claimed the win.
Senior Cortney Wood (Alburnett, Iowa) posted Drake's first two runs in the third inning with a two-RBI single that plated Sowa and junior Hayley Nybo (Minnetonka, Minn.).
Schmidt pitched 4.1 scoreless innings to earn the decision and improve her record to 11-10 on the season. Brewer, Pierce and Wood each collected two hits, while Pierce had two stolen bases.
Brewer scored the first run in the opening game as Schmidt drove her in with a single in the second inning. One frame later, Pierce launched her team-leading fifth home run of the season to extend Drake's lead to 2-0.
Evansville evened the score in its next at-bat as Kayla Fortner hit a two-run home run off of Drake starter Jordan Gronewold (Carlisle, Iowa). The Aces took the lead in the fourth inning on another home run this one a solo shot from Chandra Parr, which knocked Gronewold out of the game as Schmidt replaced her in the circle.
Parr would hurt the Bulldogs again as she connected on a three-run home run with two outs in the fifth inning to grab a 6-2 lead. Evansville added a pair of runs in the sixth inning on its way to the win.
The two teams will close out the weekend with the series finale on Sunday with first pitch scheduled for noon.
