SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Missouri State claimed a Missouri Valley Conference series over the Drake University softball team with its 14-4 win Sunday afternoon at Killian Stadium.
Drake (5-18, 1-5 MVC) pulled within a run at 4-3 in the top of the third with freshman
Addie Lightner's team-leading third home run. Lightner's three-run home run scored
Libby Ryan and
Emily Valtman. Ryan singled and Valtman followed with a fielder's choice before Valtman launched the softball over the left field fence. The Bulldogs nearly added another run as
Aubree Beitzinger cracked a double two batters after Lightner, but
Laura Anderson's groundout to short ended the frame.
Missouri State (16-9, 7-1 MVC) extended its lead to three in the bottom of the third capitalizing on two hits, two walks and two wild pitches by
Mackenzie Hupke, all with two outs.
Drake scored another run in the fourth as Ryan's fielder's choice scored freshman
MaKayla Rice, who reached on an error to start the inning. However, the Bears blitzed the Bulldogs in the bottom of the fourth with eight runs on six hits with two errors and three walks drawn.
Beitzinger, Johnson and Lightner led the Bulldogs' offense with two hits a piece.
Johnson extended her impressive hitting streak to 26 games with her 12
th multi-hit game this season. She leads the MVC in batting average with a career-high .494 clip, which is 53% in front of the next hitter, Eryn Gould of Evansville (.441).
Drake finally makes its home debut Tuesday as Iowa State (RV) makes the short trip to Buel Field. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. and the in-state contest will be streamed on ESPN+.
