CEDAR FALLS, Iowa. – The Drake softball team began its 2025 season on Saturday with two games at the Doc Halverson UNI-Dome Classic. The Bulldogs fell in their first contest of the day to the Mavericks of Omaha, 7-1, and lost to North Dakota in game two, 9-7.
Omaha 7, Drake 1
The Bulldogs grabbed hold of the lead in the first inning as
Carey Koenig got the game started with a leadoff triple to center field. A couple of batters later, Koenig came around to score on an RBI base knock from freshman
Ava Curry. Curry's first collegiate hit also gave her the first RBI of her Bulldog career.
The second frame went scoreless with Drake starting pitcher
Molly Hoekstra picking up a pair of strikeouts in that span, but then Omaha jumped out in front. The Mavericks put up four runs in the third inning giving them a 4-1 lead courtesy of a two-run homer by Marra Cramer, an RBI double by Ava Rongisch, and a sacrifice fly from Katherine Johnson.
Omaha went on to add three more runs to increase its lead to 7-1 and proceeded to hold the Bulldogs off the scoreboard for the remainder of the contest.
Koenig and Carey each tallied multi-hit performances on the offensive end for Drake, going 2-for-4 and 2-for-3, respectively.
Frankie Rita and
Natalee Watts also recorded base knocks in the game. Hoekstra was credited with the loss after tossing 2.1 innings allowing three earned runs with two strikeouts and two walks.
North Dakota 9, Drake 7
Drake once again claimed an early lead to start its second game of the day plating two runs in the first. Rita scored Koenig with an RBI single down the right field line followed by Rita coming around to score on a fielder's choice. The Fighting Hawks matched the Bulldogs, however, with two runs of their own off an RBI double by Angie Dumalo.
The scoring continued in the second inning as Koening continued her strong day at the plate with another RBI base hit. North Dakota answered again with two runs in the bottom of the frame, though, to take a 4-3 lead.
After a scoreless third inning, Drake reclaimed its lead thanks to
Emma Dighton and
Tatum Aragon driving in two more runs each singling to right center.
As the game moved along, UND fired back over the fourth and fifth innings and scored five runs over that span to claim a lead it never relinquished. Drake cut into its deficit plating one run in the sixth off a Fighting Hawk error and one run in the seventh with a solo homer from Hoekstra, but the rally fell short.
Drake's top third of the order in Koenig, Rita, and Dighton all recorded multi-hit games and each tallied an RBI. Koenig led the way with three hits. Aragon also had a two-hit outing for the Bulldogs. Hoekstra's solo shot was her first of the season and came in a pinch-hitting situation.
Jayme Sheck got the starting nod for Drake and tossed 3.0 innings with four earned runs allowed and three strikeouts.
Drake returns to the diamond tomorrow with two more games to close out its time at the Doc Halverson UNI-Dome Classic. The Bulldogs will first square off against Loyola Chicago at 10:00 a.m. and then have a rematch with North Dakota slated for 12:30 p.m.
