CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Sophomore Tasha Alexander (Eddyville, Iowa) of the Drake University softball team hit a walk-off, two-run single to beat the Green Bay Phoenix, 6-5, on Saturday at the 2016 UNI-Dome Classic.
 
Drake rallied to beat the Phoenix in the final inning as the win gave the Bulldogs a split on the second day of the tournament held in the UNI Dome. The Bulldogs lost earlier in the day to Nebraska by a score of 11-2 in five innings. 
 
Drake was down 5-4 entering the final frame against Green Bay. Freshman Taryn Pena (Columbia, Ill.) was hit by a pitch to start the inning and after Ashlie Chambers (Ankeny, Iowa) popped out for the first out, junior Kaitlyn Finneran (Morrison, Ill.) and freshman Gabbie Jonas (Omaha, Neb.), had back-to-back singles to load the bases for Alexander, who ended the game with her first hit of the game.
 
Sophomore pitcher Nicole Newman (Madison, Wis.) improved to 2-0 on the season with her second complete game and double-digit strikeout total. Newman struck out 12 batters in the season-opener against Saint Louis and has 25 in her first two starts. She allowed five runs on 10 hits.
 
Finneran and Jonas each finished with three hits while Alexander and Jonas each drove in two runs.
 
In the loss to Nebraska, senior pitcher Mariah McKinnon (Oxford, Iowa) took the loss after allowing all 11 runs on 14 hits in five innings.
 
Freshman Kennedy Frank (Chesterfield, Mo.) led the Bulldogs' offense with two hits and two runs batted in.
 
Drake closes the tournament Sunday with games against South Dakota State and Western Illinois at 12:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., respectively.