SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Drake University softball team visited Missouri State this weekend to start Missouri Valley Conference play. The Bulldogs (6-15, 0-2) fell behind the Lady Bears (11-15, 2-2) early and often in back-to-back defeats.
Missouri State 11, Drake 0
The Lady Bears locked down Drake in the first game of the weekend, an 11-0 shutout. It marked the third time this season the Bulldogs have been held scoreless.
Drake logged just one hit in the first game of the weekend, a
Kristen Arias single back up the middle in the top of the third inning.
The Lady Bears found success up and down their lineup with 11 runs and 12 hits. They got things going early with an Alex Boze single to plate Olivia Krehbiel in the first inning.
Missouri State continued their blitz in the third inning, plating six runs including three-run homer off the bat of McKenzie Vaughan. The Lady Bears put up another crooked number in the fourth inning, scoring another four runs to reach the eventual 11-0 final.
Mackenzie Hupke fell to 3-4 after earning the loss with two strikeouts, two walks, six hits allowed, and five runs allowed in just 2.1 innings.
Emma Richards also allowed six hits and gave up six runs in 1.2 frames of relief work.
Missouri State 10, Drake 1
The Bulldogs saw similar results in the second game of the day, dropping a 10-1 contest in another five-inning affair.
Missouri State got on the board first again as Vaughan homered in the bottom of the second inning. Drake countered with their lone run of the day when
Addie Lightner scampered home on a wild pitch to even the count.
The Lady Bears would bounce back, though, scoring nine unanswered runs between the third and fourth innings to open their 10-1 lead. The Lady Bears rally included a pair of singles, a Drake error, a triple by leadoff hitter Abby Ford, and an Annie Mueller two-run homerun.
Emma Dighton started and took the loss for Drake with three innings of action in the circle. She fanned just one Lady Bear batter with six hits, seven runs, and four walks given up.
The Bulldogs and Lady Bears will conclude their weekend series on Sunday, Mar. 19 at 2 p.m.
