FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The Drake University softball team blanked the Valparaiso Crusaders, 8-0, before suffering a 8-4 setback to the Colorado State Rams Saturday at the CSU Classic.
Drake (8-9) and Valparaiso were scoreless through two innings until starting pitcher Rebekah Schmidt (Cottage Grove, Minn.) helped herself with a RBI single to bring in Hayley Nybo (Minnetonka, Minn.) for the games first run in the third.
In the next inning, freshman Tasha Alexander (Eddyville, Iowa) drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on Sarah Ryan's (Mount Vernon, Iowa) groundout to second. The Bulldogs then had back-to-back singles by Kelsey Wright (Olathe, Kan.) and Megan Sowa (Gurnee, Ill.), respectively, followed by a double from Nybo to bring in three runs, as the score was 4-0 after four.
Drake ended the game early in the fifth inning with four runs on three hits with Sowa's two-RBI double the game ender.
Schmidt allowed just two hits with four strikeouts to improve her record to 4-5. At the plate, she finished with one hit and one RBI.
Sowa went 3-for-3 with one run, one double and three RBI while Wright added one hit and two runs. Alexander drew a game-high three walks.
Drake scored three runs in the first inning of the Colorado State game. Wright led off with a single and Sowa followed with a two-run home run. Later Nybo ripped a double and one batter later came in on a RBI single by Schmidt.
The Bulldogs added another run in the third on a solo blast by Schmidt. However, the lead didn't hold as Colorado State scored five runs in the bottom of the frame to steal the lead, 5-4. The Rams added one run in the fourth and two in the fifth to complete the rally over the Bulldogs.
Schmidt and Wright led Drake with two hits in the game while Alexander, Nybo and Sowa each recorded one.
Freshman Nicole Newman (Madison, Wis.) pitched 2.2 innings and allowed five runs on three hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Her record drops to 4-3 with the loss.
Drake closes the three-day tournament on Sunday with rematches with Omaha at 10 a.m. and Colorado State at 12:15 p.m., respectively.
