FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Drake University softball team routed Northwestern State, 12-2, in its second game Friday at the Woo Pig Classic. Drake (3-9) dropped its first contest Friday against Kansas, 10-4.
 
The Bulldogs scored two first-inning runs against the Lady Demons and never trailed in the five-inning game. Alexia Lara drove in two more runs with a double in the third inning and Drake ended the game early with an eight-run fourth inning as the Bulldogs collected seven hits sending 12 batters to the plate. Macy Johnson and Libby Ryan led off the fourth with singles and later they each smashed doubles in their second at-bats in that inning.
 
For the game, Drake had a season-high 14 hits helping it score a season-best 12 runs to snap a six-game losing streak.
 
Johnson had her second four-hit game of the season while Ryan had her first three-hit game in 2021. Delaney Taylor and Lara each had two hits. Johnson scored three runs and stole three bases while Ryan drove in three and scored two. Aubree Beitzinger had a two-RBI single in the fourth.
 
Mackenzie Hupke (1-0) earned her first win of the year in the circle. Hupke pitched four innings and allowed two runs on four hits with four walks and two strikeouts. Emma Richards came in and went one inning and retired all three hitters.
 
After KU went up 1-0 in the top of the first, Drake took the lead in the bottom half of the frame with two runs. Ryan smacked a one-out double and the Bulldogs capitalized on three Jayhawks' errors in the inning.
 
Kansas answered with nine runs over the next four innings to just two runs by Drake. The Bulldogs plated two in the fifth as Ryan started the inning with another double and later came home on Beitzinger's single. Lara scored the other run on a wild pitch.
 
Drake had the bases loaded with just one out in the seventh but were only able to add one run on Makayla Rice's fielder's choice that scored Lara. Taylor then grounded out to the end game.
 
Nicole Timmons (1-4) took the loss after going just 2.2 innings. Timmons allowed four runs on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Three of the runs came on a bases loaded three-run double in the third that gave KU the lead for good. Richards and Allie Timmons finished out the game in relief.
 
Drake gets another opportunity against Kansas Saturday morning at 10 a.m. The rematch will be the Bulldogs final game at the Woo Pig Classic.