DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University softball team (7-22, 0-8) dropped a pair of extra-inning contests to the Racers of Murray State (21-13, 6-3) today. The two teams battled through a marathon of 19 innings as Murray State outlasted the Bulldogs in both affairs.
Murray State 7, Drake 6 (9 inn.)
Drake looked to be in control of the day's first game as the Bulldogs opened a 4-1 lead after three innings. Things got messy for Murray State in the third frame, giving up four runs on an
Aubree Beitzinger single and two bunts by
Addie Lightner and
Skylar Rigby.
The two teams then traded scores in the sixth inning as a Racer single chipped away at the Drake lead and
Emily Valtman delivered a one-bagger of her own to get it right back.
Trailing 5-2 in the top of the seventh inning, Murray State completed their comeback effort with an RBI single and bases-clearing double to take a 6-5 advantage. Drake responded in the home half of the inning with a
MaKayla Rice single to plate Beitzinger and force free softball.
The Racers then regained the lead on a Taylor Jackson RBI single, her second of the game. Drake failed to draw even or win in walk-off fashion as the Racers' 7-6 tally held for the visiting victory.
Rice went 3-for-5 in the opener with an RBI and a run scored. Four other Bulldogs recorded multiple hits as Beitzinger's two runs led the team.
Bre Haislip improved to 3-3 in the circle with the pitching win after 2.0 innings of relief work. Drake reliever
Emma Dighton took the loss, going 3.0 innings and giving up the final run in the ninth frame.
Murray State 7, Drake 2 (10 inn.)
Offensive action was scarce in the second game as both teams' defenses led the way. The Racers drew first blood in the nightcap with a Haislip sacrifice fly and Erin Lackey bases-loaded RBI infield single in the second inning.
After two scoreless innings, the Bulldogs leveled the score a 2 apiece when Rice slapped a towering home run, her first of the season, over the right field fence.
Both teams then jockeyed for momentum for the next two innings with neither grabbing the reins. The second game of the day followed suit as the Racers and Bulldogs played into extras.
Extra innings started in a similar fashion as neither side could scrape a run across in either the eighth or ninth stanza. Then, in the top of the 10th, Murray State was able to crack Bulldog reliever
Molly Hoekstra and load the bases.
Hoekstra promptly plunked Haislip to break the tie then served up a grand slam homer to Ailey Schyck as the Racers took a 7-2 lead. The Bulldogs would not challenege in the bottom of the inning as Murray State swept Saturday's extra-inning action.
Hoekstra shouldered the loss for Drake with 7.2 innings of relief work in the circle. Redshirt senior Hannah James earned the win for Murray State and improved to 8-5 on the season.
Rice led the team in the second game with two RBI after her two-run blast.
Drake will host Murray State tomorrow at noon for the final installment of the weekend series.
