DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University softball team dropped a doubleheader to Evansville in Missouri Valley Conference action on Saturday afternoon at Buel Field.
Evansville (15-20, 6-5 MVC) defeated Drake (19-18, 3-8 MVC) by scores of 8-2 and 10-0 (5 innings).
Evansville struck first with a two-run home run by Morgan Florey in the first inning of game one. The Bulldogs later tied the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. With two outs, sophomore
Kennedy Frank was hit by a pitch by Florey and Frank then stole second base. A single by senior
Kaitlyn Finneran (Morrison, Ill.) allowed Frank to score while Finneran advanced to second on the throw to home. Freshman
Abby Buie (Gardner, Kan.) was the next batter and she reached base on a throwing error by Florey as Finneran's run tied the game at 2-2.
Evansville took back the lead back and extended it to 5-2 over the next two innings. The Purple Aces added another two runs in the sixth inning and capitalized on a Bulldog error in the seventh for one more run in the 8-2 victory.
Junior
Kailee Smith (Murrieta, Calif.) recorded the loss to fall to 10-12 on the season. Smith pitched five innings and gave up five earned runs on nine hits and walked two batters.
Freshman
Sarah Maddox (Henderson, Nev.) and
Mandi Roemmich (West Des Moines, Iowa) each had one hit along with Finneran's. Florey tossed seven innings and struck out eight batters.
Evansville built a 5-0 in the first three innings of game two. Later the Purple Aces, scored three runs in the fourth inning and two more in the fifth inning to end the game early.
Maddox had the Bulldogs' lone hit in the second game. Freshman pitcher
Aryka Knoche (Little Canada, Minn.) pitched 3.1 innings and allowed seven runs (six earned) on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Knoche dropped to 2-3 on the year with the loss. Buie pitched 1.2 innings and allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits with one walk and one strikeout.
Drake and Evansville close the series Sunday with a game at 11 a.m. Following Sunday's game, the Bulldogs will host Iowa State on Tuesday with first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m.
