EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Drake University softball team used a big second inning to help defeat Loyola, 7-1, Thursday, May 13 in its first game of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. With the win, fifth-seed Drake (19-29) advanced to the 4 p.m. quarterfinal later today against No. 5 SIU. The game against the Salukis will be streamed on ESPN+.
The Bulldogs jumped on Loyola (13-29) early in its first at bat in the first inning as
Libby Ryan doubled and
Macy Johnson singled to start the game. With one out,
Skylar Rigby caught the Ramblers off guard dropping down a squeeze bunt that scored Ryan.
Drake broke the game open in the second as they batted around and scored six runs.
Aubree Beitzinger singled with one out and then stole second.
Laura Anderson followed with a single up the middle to give Drake a 2-0 lead. A wild pitch moved Anderson, then
Haylee Lehman drew her own walk followed by Ryan's infield single that loaded the bases. Johnson drew a walk to bring in Anderson and push lead to 3-0.
Head coach
Rich Calvert went to his bench and used
Kristen Arias as a pinch hitter. Arias, who delivered a key pinch hit in the series against Loyola during the regular season, came through again with a single up the middle that scored three runs, the last after ball went under the glove of the centerfielder. Later, one more run scored after an error on a ball hit by
Addie Lightner went under third baseman's glove and made the score 7-0.
Nicole Timmons started and went three innings before
Mackenzie Hupke replaced her in the circle with the big lead. Timmons didn't allow a hit, struck out two and walked two to improve to 11-10. Hupke allowed a leadoff home run to Allyson Ivey but settled in and allowed just one more hit and worked around four walks with three strikeouts to earn the save.
Beitzinger and Ryan each had two hits as the team finished with 10. Every Bulldog starter had at least one hit or scored at least one run.
SIU won two out of three games against Drake as the two teams opened their respective league schedules against each other on March 20-21 in Carbondale, Ill.
