WICHITA, Kan. – The Drake Bulldogs team swept the Wichita State Shockers on Saturday (March 28) afternoon in Missouri Valley Conference softball action at Wilkins Stadium.
Drake won by scores of 6-5 and 4-1 over Wichita State in the doubleheader to improve to 16-11 and 7-1 in MVC play. The Shockers drop to 16-18 and 1-7 in the MVC with the two losses.
The opening game was a slugfest between the two teams as they combined for five home runs. Drake had one home run from senior Hayley Nybo (Minnetonka, Minn.) and one from freshman Kelsey Wright (Olathe, Kan.).
Senior Rebekah Schmidt (Cottage Grove, Minn.) pitched her 11th complete game this season as she allowed five runs (three earned) on nine hits while striking out six and walking just one. Schmidt improved her record to 8-7 with her third consecutive win in the circle. Schmidt also helped herself at the plate going 3-for-3 with one walk.
Cacy Williams of Wichita State homered off Schmidt in the first inning for the game's initial run. Drake answered in the third inning as Wright's home run led off the inning and two batters later freshman Kailee Smith (Murrieta, Calif.) drove in Nybo, who had doubled earlier. Drake led 2-1 after three innings of play.
The Bulldogs added two more runs the next inning to go up 4-1, both runs coming with two outs. Senior Laura Brewer (Waukee, Iowa) ripped a double to score fellow senior Sarah Ryan (Mount Vernon, Iowa), who reached on a fielder's choice and later advanced to second on a wild pitch. Brewer later scored after a Shockers' error on a ball hit by Nybo.
Wichita State grabbed the lead back at 5-4 in the fifth inning behind a pair of two-run home runs. The first by Williams and two batters later Brittany Fortner added her own.
Drake trailed 5-4 going into its final at-bat in the seventh inning. However, Nybo evened the score with her team-leading sixth home run of the year, to start the inning. The Bulldogs weren't done though as Schmidt followed Nybo with her third single of the game.
Sophomore Maddie Hooyman (Trenton, Mo.) pinch ran for Schmidt. Hooyman advanced to second on a wild pitch and then moved to third on a groundout by Smith. Sophomore Megan Sowa (Gurnee, Ill.) pinch-hit and delivered with a RBI groundout that plated Hooyman for the go ahead run.
Schmidt reentered the game in the bottom half of the seventh and worked around a one-out double and an intentional walk as she struck out the side to end the game.
The second game was a pitcher's duel through the first three innings as neither team scored. Brewer launched her first of two home runs in the fourth inning for the game's first run. Wichita State tied the game at 1-1 in its next at bat by taking advantage of an error after Fortner led off the inning with a double. However, it would be the only run for the Shockers in the game.
Freshman Nicole Newman (Madison, Wis.) was dominant in the circle for Drake. Newman went seven innings for her sixth complete game in her short career. She allowed just the one run on three hits while striking out six and walking two. The win improved her record to a sterling 8-3.
Drake scored two runs in the fifth inning to break the tie. Sophomore Ashlie Chambers (Ankeny, Iowa) led off the frame with a double. Hooyman pinch ran for Chambers and was able to score after an error by the Shockers on a ball hit by sophomore Kaitlyn Finneran (Morrison, Ill.). Wright later had a RBI single to bring in Finneran.
Brewer added an insurance run in the seventh inning with her second solo blast of the game. The senior has hit four home runs in the past five games. As a team, Drake has hit 11 home runs in the past five games.
Brewer and freshman Tasha Alexander (Eddyville, Iowa) led the Bulldogs with two hits each. Alexander had a strong day at the plate as she also had two hits in the first game.
The Bulldogs and Shockers close the series with a single contest Sunday starting at noon at Wilkins Stadium.
