FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Snow on the playing field and team's travel plans forced Colorado State tournament officials to swap opponents for the Drake University softball team on the first day of the CSU Spring Classic. Instead of taking on the Valparaiso Crusaders, Drake played Omaha on Friday afternoon as the Mavericks rallied for an 8-4 victory over the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs struck first in the bottom of the second getting two runs on the scoreboard as pinch runner Maddie Hooyman (Trenton, Mo.) scored on an error and Kaitlyn Finneran (Morrison, Ill.) plated Ashlie Chambers (Ankeny, Iowa) with a RBI single.

Omaha (7-7) tied the score at 2-all in the next frame on a two-run home run by Campbell Ditto. Later the Mavericks took their first lead with two runs in the fifth inning. Drake (7-8) quickly answered in the bottom of the inning as Nybo launched her two-run double to even the score once again, this time at 4-all.

The game remained scoreless until the seventh inning when the Mavericks broke open the game with four runs on three hits off of Drake freshman Kailee Smith (Murietta, Calif.).

The Bulldogs battled in its at-bat after the Mavericks' big inning, getting the bases loaded, but pinch hitter Chelsea Blaylock (Des Moines, Iowa) flew out to the end the game.

Senior Laura Brewer (Waukee, Iowa) had a team-high two hits while Nybo finished 1-for-4 with the double and two RBI.

Senior Rebekah Schmidt (Cottage Grove, Minn.) started in the circle going five innings allowing four runs (three unearned) on five hits with four walks and six strikeouts. Smith relieved Schmidt tossing two innings and allowing four runs on three hits with three walks as she took her first career loss.

Drake plays two games on Saturday with a matchup against Valparaiso at 12:15 p.m. CST and Colorado State at 4:45 p.m. The Bulldogs close the three-day tournament on Sunday with rematches with Omaha at 10 a.m. and Colorado State at 12:15 p.m., respectively.