EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – The SIUE softball team rallied to beat the Drake softball team, 5-4, in nine innings at Cougar Field on Wednesday, March 16.
 
In the first inning, freshman Kennedy Frank (Chesterfield, Mo.) blasted her team-leading fifth home run, a solo shot, and sophomore Kailee Smith (Murrieta, Calif.) had an RBI double to give Drake (9-10) a 2-0 lead.
 
SIUE (6-11) took the lead with four runs in the fourth inning as the Cougars had three hits and capitalized on one Bulldogs' error to lead 4-2.
 
Drake was able to fight back to tie the game with one run in the fifth inning on Frank's RBI double and one in the sixth frame on sophomore Tasha Alexander's (Eddyville, Iowa) RBI double.
 
SIUE was the only team to have a base runner in the seventh or eighth inning with one single in the eighth. However, Drake starting pitcher Nicole Newman (Madison, Wis.) worked around the single to force an additional inning.
 
Drake went 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth as SIUE then followed with a strikeout, a single and the runner advanced on another Bulldog error. That base runner then scored on the next at-bat as Alyssa Herren doubled to right field to give the home team the 5-4 win.
 
Newman pitched 8.1 innings and allowed five runs (four earned) on nine hits with four walks and 10 strikeouts. Her record dropped to 7-5 with the loss.
 
Frank led the offense with two hits, two runs batted in and one run scored. Alexander, Smith and sophomore Kelsey Wright (Olathe, Kan.) each had one hit as the team had just five hits.
 
Drake starts Missouri Valley Conference play on Saturday at Evansville with two games scheduled. Game one will start at noon.