DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University softball team swept the Evansville Purple Aces on Saturday afternoon in its first home games of the 2015 season at Ron Buel Field. Drake edged Evansville, 6-5, in the opening game between the Missouri Valley Conference members before closing out the day with a 5-2 victory in the second game.
In game one, senior Rebekah Schmidt (Cottage Grove, Minn.) pitched a complete game for Drake (13-11, 4-1 MVC) as Schmidt improved to 6-7 with the win. She allowed five runs on five hits, but struck out nine and walked just two. Schmidt helped herself at the plate going 2-for-3 with a two-run home run in the fifth inning, which proved to be the difference.
Freshman Kelsey Wright (Olathe, Kan.) and sophomore Megan Sowa (Gurnee, Ill.) led the Bulldogs' offense at the top of the order. Wright collected two hits and scored twice, while Sowa had two hits off of Evansville (7-23, 1-4 MVC). Senior Laura Brewer (Waukee, Iowa) also helped the Drake offense with a three-run home run in the third inning and she put the first run on the scoreboard with a fielder's choice that scored sophomore Maddie Hooyman (Trenton, Mo.) in the first inning.
Game two was a pitcher's duel early between Drake freshman Nicole Newman (Madison, Wis.) and Evansville junior Amanda Blankenship.
The Bulldogs broke through first in the fourth inning as senior Hayley Nybo (Minnetonka, Minn.) launched a one-out, solo home run and three batters later freshman Kailee Smith (Murietta, Calif.) recorded a pinch-hit RBI single that plated Hooyman, who was again pinch running.
The Purple Aces tied the game at 2-2 the following inning with a two-run home run by Amanda Ferguson.
Drake answered right back in the bottom of the frame as senior Sarah Ryan (Mount Vernon, Iowa) blasted a leadoff home run, the first home run of her career. A pitch hit later Schmidt with the bases loaded and sophomore Kaitlyn Finneran (Morrison, Ill.) drew a bases loaded walk as the Bulldogs added two more runs.
Newman also pitched a complete game as she allowed just two runs on five hits while walking just one and striking out nine. With the win, her record improved to a sterling 7-3 on the season.
Drake and Evansville will close out the series on Sunday with one game scheduled for a 12 p.m. first pitch. The Bulldogs have a fast turnaround as they then travel to play nationally ranked Kansas on Tuesday, March 24 at 6 p.m.
