DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Drake softball team (11-26, 4-11 in Missouri Valley Conference play) lost a pitcher's duel to Illinois State (23-17, 13-3) in game one of a doubleheader before the Redbirds pulled away in game two at Ron Buel Field on Friday, April 14.
Illinois State 2, Drake 1
Drake starting pitcher
Mackenzie Hupke (5-6) walked in the first run of the game in the opening inning before settling in. Hupke had racked up five strikeouts within her first two innings of work.
Carey Koenig placed a double into the left centerfield gap with one out in the bottom of the third inning. Koenig advanced third on a wild pitch and later scored on a passed ball during the same at-bat to tie the game, 1-1.
Emme Olson broke the deadlock for the Redbirds with a solo homer over the right field fence in the top of the fifth.
Hupke struck out 10 batters to mark the second time this season she has reached double-digit strikeouts. She allowed two runs on seven hits and five walks over 7.0 innings in the circle. Hannah Ross (8-7) also went the distance for Illinois State, picking up the win after allowing one run on three hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
Illinois State 10, Drake 3
The game was scoreless until an RBI single on the right side of the infield by Abby Knight scored Hanna Hicks in the top of the third inning.
Trailing 2-0,
MaKayla Rice cleared the bases with a triple over the centerfield's head that one-hopped the wall.
Skylar Rigby,
Carey Koenig and
Aubree Beitzinger all scored for a 3-2 Drake edge in the bottom of the fourth.
With two runners on in the top of the fifth, Dayna Kennedy delivered the game-tying RBI single through the right side of the infield. An inning later, an RBI double by Kaili Chval opened the floodgates for Illinois State as the Redbirds plated three runs in the sixth and four more in the seventh for a 10-3 decision.
Paige Bedsworth got the start for the Bulldogs, allowing three runs over 4.1 innings on four hits with one strikeout.
Molly Hoekstra (0-3) was handed the loss allowing six earned runs on seven hits during an inning and a 1/3 relief appearance.
Haylee Lehman finished 2-for-3 at the plate while Bedsworth, Rice, Beitzinger, Koenig and
Sami Miller all recorded hits for Drake.
Due to forecasted weather (low temperatures) on Sunday (April 16), the final game of the series against Illinois State is now scheduled for an 11 a.m. first pitch on Saturday, April 15 at Ron Buel Field.
