PEORIA, Ill. – The Drake softball team began its weekend against the Bradley Braves on Friday evening from OSF Healthcare Field with a low scoring first game of the series. The Bulldogs and Braves were locked in a scoreless duel that went into extra innings, but the Bulldogs suffered the loss, 1-0.
 
The starting pitchers were dominate in this contest as Molly Hoekstra for Drake and Sydney Kennedy for Bradley were dealing from the circle. The pitching counterparts limited the offensive action throughout the regular seven innings with no runs showing on the scoreboard for either side.
 
Hoekstra delivered for Drake with another solid effort on the season and finished with a final line of 8.1 innings pitched, four hits allowed, four strikeouts, and three walks despite being credited with the loss. The senior faced a total of 34 batters in the game and produced 16 groundouts and five flyouts from the Bradley offense.
 
On the other side, Kennedy went the distance for the Braves tossing all nine innings with five hits allowed, five walks, and three strikeouts.
 
The lone run of the game came after Hoekstra was taken out following a single and walk, which gave Bradley a pair of base runners in the bottom of the ninth. Paige Bedsworth came on in relief for the Bulldogs looking to get out of the jam, but a sharply hit single to short followed by a throwing error allowed for the winning run to cross the plate.
 
On the offensive end, the Bulldogs recorded five singles on the day from five different players.
 
The Bulldogs and Braves return to the diamond tomorrow for game two of the series with first pitch slated for 2:00 p.m.