PEORIA, Ill. – The Drake Bulldogs scored three runs in the seventh inning to rally to beat the Bradley Braves, 6-4, in Missouri Valley Conference softball action on Saturday, April 25.
Drake (28-16, 17-5 MVC), who snapped a two-game losing skid with the comeback win, was led at the plate by sophomore Megan Sowa (Gurnee, Ill.) who went 3-for-4 with one run scored and one run batted in. Sowa had a key RBI single in the final inning for the Bulldogs' last run of the contest.
Senior Sarah Ryan (Mount Vernon, Iowa) and freshman Kelsey Wright (Olathe, Kan.) had a run-scoring single and a run-scoring double, respectively, to produce the other two Bulldog runs in the seventh.
Senior Rebekah Schmidt (Cottage Grove, Minn.) overcame a shaky start that saw her give up two runs in the first inning off a pair of wild pitches. Schmidt pitched seven innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits with one walk and five strikeouts as she improved to 17-10 with the victory.
Schmidt, who fell behind 4-0 after three innings, allowed just one hit the remaining four innings. She added a sacrifice fly at the plate.
Senior Hayley Nybo (Minnetonka, Minn.) connected for a two-run double, her 12th two-bagger of the season and the 41st in her career. She is now second all-time in career doubles in program history and just one away from tying Pam Schaffrath (1990-93) who had 42.
Drake and Bradley finish their series with two games on Sunday with first pitch of the opening contest scheduled for 12 p.m.
