BATON ROUGE, La. – The Drake University softball team held a one run lead over Stephen F. Austin for five innings before falling by one. The Bulldogs later went into extra innings against No. 23 LSU before falling by one in the bottom of the tenth. 

SFA 3, Drake 2
Emily Valtman was fourth in the Bulldogs line up batting when she singled to shortstop allowing Macy Johnson, who was on third, to score and give Drake an early 1-0 lead.

Emma Richards (1-2) walked two of her first three batters and found the bases loaded on her fourth opponent. The Lumberjacks managed to score one with two outs and two remaining on base. The fifth batter in their lineup grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Carey Koneig batted third for Drake in the second inning. Her hit to right field allowed her to get to first base and MaKayla Rice to get home from third, for Drake to lead 2-1. 

The Lumberjacks found an opportunity with someone on second and third to score after a hit to left field allowed them to tie the game 2-2. 

The final batter for SFA singled out to center field allowing the person on second to get home for the Lumberjacks to win 3-2. 

No. 23 LSU 3, Drake 2
The Bulldogs and nationally ranked Tigers got off to a slow start. In the third inning, the Bulldogs took the lead, 2-0, giving the Tigers a scare.

Emily Valtman singled out to right field but managed to get to second, allowing Johnson to score and giving Drake the 1-0 lead. 

With two outs and Valtman on base, Rice doubled to center field to bring Valtman home, making it a 2-0 game. 

Nicole Timmons (2-2) surrendered her second opponent in the bottom of the fourth, as LSU hit a homerun to left field. The Tigers still trailed the Bulldogs 2-1 and Timmons only allowed one more hit in the inning. 

In the bottom of the seventh, with two outs and one on base, LSU doubled to center field tying the game 2-2. 

Timmons struck out the next batter, sending the game into extra innings.

The Bulldogs fought an additional three innings against the Tigers, before LSU hit its second home run of the evening to end the game.

The Bulldogs return to Tiger Field at 9am Sunday Feb. 27 to take on Purdue.