PALO ALTO, Calif. – The Drake University softball team shutout Hofstra, 8-0, Sunday morning of the final day of the Stanford Invitational. Following the win over Hostra (1-4), Drake (5-5) lost to host Stanford (10-2), 9-0, in the Bulldogs' final tournament game.
Drake avenged its loss to the Pride on Saturday as its bats broke out Sunday in a big offensive performance. The Bulldogs' first seven hitters in the lineup all had at least one hit and went a combined 12-for-18 (.667) with three doubles and three steals, six runs and eight RBI. Overall, the team had 14 hits.
Sarah Maddox drove in the Drake's first run in the first with a double down the left field line that scored
Libby Ryan. Two innings later, Ryan drove in
Mandi Roemmich with her own double to left and two batters later, freshman
Emily Valtman, continued her hot hitting driving in Maddox and Ryan with a double to left center. Drake tacked on three more runs in the fourth as
Macy Johnson scored freshman
Aubree Beitzinger with a single. Later in the frame and with two outs, pinch hitter
Abby Buie hit a single to center that brought in Johnson and Roemmich. Johnson ended the game early with one out in the fifth with a single to left center that scored Beitzinger.
Freshman pitcher
Mackenzie Hupke (1-2) earned her first career victory with her first shutout. Hupke allowed just two hits and worked around three walks while striking out three.
Stanford broke open the rematch with a five-run second-inning against freshman pitcher
Allie Timmons. The Bulldogs' bats struggled against Cardinal pitcher Alana Vawter who took a no-hitter to the sixth before Beitzinger ended the no-no with a single through the left side. Valtman was the only other Bulldog to reach base when she drew a one-out walk in the fifth.
Timmons (0-2) took the loss after allowing nine runs on eight hits and two walks over 5.1 innings of work. Timmons fell to 0-2 with the decision.
Drake travels west again next week when it visits Phoenix, Ariz. for the Grand Canyon Purple Classic. The Bulldogs start their trip in The Valley of the Sun on Friday, Feb. 21 with contests against CSUN (1 p.m. CST) and Grand Canyon (6 p.m. CST).
