TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Senior Megan Sowa (Gurnee, Ill.) lined a walk off double that scored junior Tasha Alexander (Eddyville, Iowa) for the Drake University softball team to beat Jacksonville, 2-1, Saturday night at the Easton Crimson Classic. In the first game on Saturday, host No. 9 Alabama defeated Drake, 10-0, in five innings.
 
Drake (13-8) jumped out to a 1-0 lead over Jacksonville (11-8) in the third inning as sophomore Taryn Pena (Columbia, Ill.) lined a single up the middle to bring in Sowa. Two innings later, the Dolphins tied the game at 1-1 with a RBI double off junior Kailee Smith (Murrieta, Calif.).
 
Smith settled down after the tying run as she allowed just one base runner in each of the next two innings. She pitched a complete game and allowed one run on four hits with three strikeouts. With the win, Smith improved to 5-4 on the season.
 
Freshmen Sarah Maddox (Henderson, Nev.) and Mandi Roemmich (West Des Moines, Iowa) and Sowa led the Bulldogs with two hits each in the win. Alexander started the seventh inning with a single through the right side and then stole second before Sowa's game-winner.
 
Drake bounced back after a tough loss to the Crimson Tide. Two Alabama (18-2) pitchers, Madi Moore and Sydney Littlejohn combined for a no-hitter. Freshman Abby Buie (Gardner, Kan.) and Sowa each drew one walk for the Bulldogs only base runners.
 
Freshman Aryka Knoche (Little Canada, Minn.) took the loss for Drake. Knoche allowed 10 runs on nine hits in 4.0 innings with two strikeouts and seven walks. She dropped to 1-1 on the season.
 
Drake closes its time in Alabama with a game against Stanford on Sunday morning at 11 a.m. Stanford beat Drake, 9-0, in the Bulldogs' first game of the tournament.