WICHITA, Kan. – The Drake University softball team dropped a pair of games at Wichita State to open its Missouri Valley Conference season on Saturday. The Bulldogs dropped the first game of the doubleheader in five innings, 10-0 before losing the close second game, 6-5.
 
Drake (16-11, 0-2 MVC) took a 5-0 lead in the fourth to open the second game of the day before Wichita State (14-10, 2-0 MVC) tied it with five unanswered runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Wichita State scored the winning-run in the eighth on a pair of Bulldog errors on a bunt single.
 
Senior Megan Sowa (Gurnee, Ill.) and juniors Kailee Smith (Marietta, Calif.) and Tasha Alexander (Eddyville, Iowa) all went 2-3 at the plate in the second game. Sowa hit an early triple in the first inning, scoring freshman Mandi Roemmich (West Des Moines, Iowa) for the Bulldogs' first run of the game. Alexander also added the Bulldogs sole hit in the first game against Wichita State. Smith added a two-run home run in the fourth inning of game two.
 
In the circle, Smith, now 7-7 this season, started both games for Drake pitching 8.1 innings, giving up 11 runs (seven earned) on 13 hits while striking out three and walking eight
 
In the morning game, Wichita State claimed an early 3-0 lead. A six-run second inning, including a grand slam by Laurie Derrico, extended the Shockers to a 9-0 lead. Drake freshman Aryka Knoche (Little Canada, Minn.) pitched in relief, going 3.0 innings allowing five runs on five hits and walking six batters.
 
The Bulldogs will conclude their series at Wichita State, Sunday with a game scheduled for 11 a.m. before traveling to Creighton on Wednesday, March 22 at 4 p.m. The game against the Shockers will be broadcast on The Valley on ESPN3.