LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Drake University softball team split a pair of games Friday at the Jayhawk Invitational dropping a close 3-2 game against UMKC before picking up an 11-3 victory over Green Bay. Drake's games scheduled for Saturday against host Kansas and Green Bay have been cancelled due to the weather forecast. The Bulldogs will close out the Jayhawk Invitational on Sunday with a game against Iowa scheduled to begin 3:30 p.m.
 
Drake (15-9) freshman pitcher Aryka Knoche (Little Canada, Minn.) picked up her second win of the season against Green Bay (1-11) to move to 2-1. Knoche pitched 5.1 innings and gave up three runs (two earned) on nine hits while walking three batters and striking out two. Junior Kailee Smith (Murrieta, Calif.) pitched 1.2 innings of relief striking out four of the final five batters.  
 
Earlier in the day, Smith took the loss against UMKC to fall to 6-5 after pitching 7.0 innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on nine hits and walking one batter.  
 
Freshman Sarah Maddox (Henderson, Nev.) had a pair of home runs in a 5-8 performance at the plate Friday in the two games. Maddox recorded four runs batted in and scored two runs. Freshman Mandi Roemmich (West Des Moines, Iowa) added a 3-5 performance against Green Bay which included two runs scored and two RBIs.
 
After taking an early 1-0 lead with Maddox's RBI single to open the game against UMKC (5-16), the Roos put up three runs over the next six innings to take a 3-1 lead. Despite a home run by Maddox in the bottom of the sixth the Bulldogs weren't able to secure the victory. 
 
Drake took the early 5-0 lead in the first two innings against Green Bay (1-11), which included a home run by Maddox. Green Bay responded with a pair of runs coming in the second and fifth inning. The Bulldogs extended their lead to 7-2 lead in the sixth before giving up one more run in the bottom of the sixth. Drake closed out the game with a four-run seventh inning.