DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University (8-17) softball team scored four unanswered runs in game two to split a Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader against Southern Illinois (15-13) on Saturday (April 2) at Ron Buel Field.
SIU 8, Drake 1
Nicole Timmons (3-9) struck out Tori Schullian with the bases loaded for the first out of the opening inning. The next batter Sidney Sikes walked and Drake head coach
Rich Calvert turned to his bullpen with
Mackenzie Hupke. A bases loaded walk brought across another SIU run, but Hupke limited the damage to only two runs in the top half of the first inning.
The Bulldogs got a run back in the bottom of the first when
Paige Bedsworth punched a single to right field to bring around
Delaney Taylor from second base.
In the top of the fifth inning with the score still at 2-1 in favor of Southern Illinois, the Salukis loaded the bases with nobody out. Hupke struck out back-to-back batters and forced a flyout to escape the bases loaded jam. Hupke did not allow an earned run over 4.2 innings and struck out a total of six hitters.
A pair of Bulldog errors spurred a six-run top of the sixth inning for SIU as the Salukis claimed game one by a final score of 8-1.
Drake 5, SIU 4
Once again, Southern Illinois scored two runs in the top of the first inning and Drake responded with a run in the bottom half as Bedsworth drilled a double to right field as
Macy Johnson scored.
Bedsworth (2-0) entered the game to pitch for starting pitcher
Molly Hoekstra with nobody out in the bottom of the first. She went on to toss six efficient innings without allowing an earned run.
Trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the third,
Emily Valtman blasted a 2-run homer over the wall in left center. Valtman's fifth home run of the season cut the deficit to 4-3 before
Libby Ryan knotted the game with a line drive RBI single to center.
With two outs and a runner at third base in the bottom of the fifth, Taylor dragged the ball along the right side of the infield and legged out a single while
Haylee Lehman scored the go-ahead run.
Mackenzie Hupke (2) was summoned in a save situation leading 5-4 in the top of the seventh inning. Hupke slammed the door with back-to-back strikeouts while SIU stranded two runners in scoring position.
The rubber game between the Salukis and Bulldogs at Ron Buel Field is scheduled for Sunday, April 3 at 12 p.m.
