STILLWATER, Okla. – The Bulldog softball team continued their non-conference schedule with the first day of action at the Oklahoma State/Tulsa Invite. Drake opened the weekend with another comeback victory of Kansas City before dropping their Friday finale to a ranked Oklahoma State squad.
 
Drake 5, Kansas City 3
The Roos of Kansas City gained the first advantage after a productive first inning. Briona Woods and Amelia Fitzgerald both singled as Kansas City took an early 3-0 lead.
 
The Bulldogs answered with a run of their own in the first as Addie Lightner singled to center to bring Carey Koenig home.
 
Trailing 3-1, Drake took over after scoreless frames in the second and third. Emily Valtman drove Abby Martin in with another single to get back within one.
 
Drake continued their retaliation in the fifth inning as Martin delivered a single to left to tie the score at three apiece. Destiny Lewis stepped up later in the inning to bring another run across before sprinting home on a Kansas City error.
 
Bulldog starter Emma Dighton held it down over the next two stanzas as Drake earned the 5-3 victory. Dighton threw all seven innings with a pair of strikeouts as she improved to 2-2 on the year.
 
Martin led Drake at the dish, going 3-for-3 with a RBI and a run scored. Allie Bishoff and Dighton each sprayed two hits and scored a run.
 
No. 3 Oklahoma State 13, Drake 1
Friday's finale was a much different ball game for Drake as the Bulldogs faced off against one of the tournament's hosts, Oklahoma State. The Cowgirls entered the weekend ranked No. 3 in the country.
 
OSU scored early and often with two runs in the opening frame and another in the second. The Cowgirls continued their blitz in the third inning with seven runs, their most in a single period in the game. Oklahoma State led 10-0 after three full innings.
 
Drake scored their lone run of the matchup in the fourth inning when Molly Hoekstra drove Abby Martin home on a groundout.
 
Oklahoma State slammed the door in the fourth, scoring another three runs. The Cowgirls took the 13-1 win in five innings.
 
Emma Dighton, Destiny Lewis, and Haylee Lehman logged Drake's three hits. Started Jayme Scheck (1-3) took the loss in the circle after just two innings while Paige Bedsworth and Emma Richards saw relief action.
 
The Bulldogs will continue their Oklahoma trip in Tulsa tomorrow with another tilt against Kansas City and a meeting with the other host, Tulsa.