NORMAL, Ill. – The Drake University softball team rallied to defeat Illinois State, 7-4, in the nightcap of Friday's Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader at Marian Kneer Softball Stadium. The two teams split the doubleheader as Illinois State (17-30, 9-12 MVC) edged Drake (26-23, 14-8 MVC), 1-0, in the first game.
The second game was back-and-forth as the Bulldogs scored one run in the first inning from an RBI single by freshman
Taryn Pena (Columbia, Ill.). The Redbirds took the lead in the bottom of the frame with a two-run home run from Riley Strandgard.
Drake answered in the third inning as Pena delivered again with another run-scoring single and sophomore
Kailee Smith (Murrieta, Calif.) drove in a pair of runs with a double as the Bulldogs led 4-2. Illinois State cut the deficit to 4-3 in the bottom of the inning with a RBI single from Jordan de los Reyes and then tied the game at 4-4 in the fourth as Standgard came through again, this time with an RBI single.
In the fifth inning it was Smith's turn to come up in the clutch for Drake as she broke the tie with a run-scoring single and two batters later junior
Kaitlyn Finneran (Morrison, Ill.) added another run with her own RBI single as the Bulldogs led 6-4 after five innings.
Sophomore
Nicole Newman (Madison, Wis.), who started in the circle and tossed her 22
nd complete game, helped her cause with a solo home run in the seventh inning. In the circle, Newman allowed four runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts and she worked around five walks.
Pena finished with two runs batted in while Smith finished with three RBI. The duo each finished with two hits each.
Illinois State squeaked out the opening game behind a third-inning, solo home run by Allison Spence off Newman.
Drake put at least one base runner on second base in the second, third and fourth inning. Junior
Maddie Hooyman (Trenton, Mo.) had the Bulldogs' best scoring chance when she tried to score from third base on a Redbirds' wild pitch in the fourth inning, but was thrown out at the plate.
Newman took the tough loss after pitching six innings. She allowed one run on five hits and struck out 10 and walked three batters. With the one win and one loss on Friday, Newman is now 19-12 overall this season. Drake had just four hits in the loss.
The teams will play the series finale Saturday at noon.
