DES MOINES, Iowa – After a long afternoon of weather delays, the Drake softball team and Illinois State played a Friday night Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader under the lights at Buel Field. Illinois State took the twin bill by scores of 7-3 and 3-1 to remain in first place in the MVC. Drake dropped to 20-21 overall and 3-11 in league play.
 
The Redbirds jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first game of and increased their advantage to 5-0 in the fifth inning before the Bulldogs got on the scoreboard with a two-run RBI single by freshman Abby Buie (Gardner, Kan.) in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Drake stranded two runners in both the sixth and the seventh inning as Illinois State held on for the win.
 
Freshman Mandi Roemmich (West Des Moines, Iowa) led the Bulldogs with three hits while fellow freshman Aryka Knoche (Little Canada, Minn.) added two hits. Junior Kailee Smith (Murrieta, Calif.) took the loss after she allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and didn't record an out. She is now 11-14 on the season.
 
In the second game, Illinois State scored one run in the first inning. Drake had several chances to tie the game before senior Megan Sowa (Gurnee, Ill.) lined a base hit in the fifth inning to score Roemmich. The Bulldogs had a chance to add one more run but Buie was thrown out at home in a close play and the next two batters were retired.
 
Alyssa Wiebel hit the game-winning, two-run home run for the Redbirds in the seventh inning.
 
Buie earned her first loss in the circle after she allowed two runs on five hits in four innings. She struck out two and walked two. Roemmich led the offense again with two hits. Drake stranded eight runners in each of the game.
 
The two teams will conclude the series Saturday with a single game at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast online on the Valley on ESPN3.
 
DRAKE