CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The Drake softball lost a pitcher's duel and slugfest on the final day of the Doc Halverson UNI-Dome Tournament on Sunday, Feb. 12.
Omaha 3, Drake 1
Paige Bedsworth got the start in the circle for Drake and allowed two runs to the Mavericks in the top of the second inning.
MaKayla Rice answered for Drake in the top of the third by driving in
Heidi Wheeler on a single placed to left center.
Trailing 2-1 in the top of the seventh inning, Rachel Weber clubbed an RBI double off of
Mackenzie Hupke to increase Omaha's advantage to 3-1.
Omaha's Kamryn Meyer kept the Bulldog bats off balance in the bottom of the seventh to seal the 3-1 decision.
Rice,
Sami Miller,
Aubree Beitzinger and
Heidi Wheeler all recorded hits for Drake. Bedsworth was saddled with the loss pitching four innings allowing two runs on four hits with four strikeouts and no walks. Hupke struck out five batters in three innings of relief.
South Dakota 12, Drake 9
The Bulldogs fell behind 5-0 after the top of the first inning, highlighted by a three-run homer by Gabby Moser.
Emma Dighton helped her own cause in the circle with a three-run long ball of her own to trim the deficit to 5-3 in the bottom half of the first.
Behind 6-3 in the bottom of the second,
Emily Valtman poked a single to right field bringing around a pair of runners. Miller tripled home Valtman to tie the game at six runs apiece.
Aubree Beitzinger handed Drake a 7-6 lead following a single to center.
Moser drove in two more runs with a double in top of the third as South Dakota moved ahead 9-7. That lead did not last long as Bedsworth dragged an infield base hit to the third baseman bringing Rigby and Dighton across home plate.
A two-run homer by Jordyn Pender served a big blow in the top of the sixth inning with the Coyotes snagging an 11-9 edge.
After USD added an insurance run in the top of the seventh, Drake loaded the bases with one out in the bottom half of the frame. A force out at home and a strikeout looking of Valtman ended the game.
Beitzinger finished 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI while Valtman was 1-for-4 with two RBI. Dighton hit her second home run of the season and now has seven RBI this season.
Drake softball will return to the diamond Feb. 24-26 at the Razorback Invitational.
