DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake softball team took to the diamond for the first time this season in its home stadium, Ron Buel Field, on a windy Friday afternoon as it hosted Indiana State in a Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader. The Bulldogs split their home opener with the Sycamores, falling in game one 6-5 in extra innings, but bounced back in game two with a 2-1 victory.
Indiana State 6, Drake 5
It didn't take long for Drake to get on the scoreboard in the first game of the day as it grabbed an early lead over Indiana State in the first inning. Freshman
Ava Curry led off the frame with a single and eventually came around to score on a double from
Frankie Rita to deep center.
The Sycamores countered with a pair of runs in the third inning, however, to jump in front. Livi Colip drove in the first run with a single back up the middle, followed by a fielder's choice by Hannah Welch, which scored Morgan Goodrich.
In the fourth, Indiana State increased its lead to 4-1 following a miscue from the Bulldogs in the field on a single to center field, which allowed two more runs to cross the plate.
The Bulldogs then fought back to make it a one-run contest with one swing of the bat in the fifth inning. Junior
Tatum Aragon got a hold off one and took it over the right field wall for a two-run shot, bringing the score to 4-3. Aragon's home run marked her first of the season.
After Indiana State tacked on another run in the sixth, the Bulldogs used the long ball again to get it back to a one-run deficit. This time the big fly came off the bat of freshman
Natalee Watts for her first-career home run.
Drake was still facing a one-run deficit in the bottom of the seventh when it turned to
Sami Miller in its final at-bats in a pinch-hitting situation. Miller delivered in the clutch moment by hitting the Bulldogs' third home run of the game. A solo blast from the Mason City native brought the game even at 5-5 and pushed the game into extras.
Just as much as the Bulldogs relied on home runs to keep their hopes alive, it was a home run that costed them in the end. Luci Kapelka sent a solo homer over the wall in right center in the top of the eighth to put Indiana State back ahead, which proved to be the finishing blow.
Drake 2, Indiana State 1
While the offense was alive in game one between the Bulldogs and the Sycamores, game two saw a pitcher's duel take place.
Starting pitchers
Peyton Driscoll for Drake and Lauren Sackett for Indiana State were dealing in the circle, holding each opposing side scoreless through five innings of play. Driscoll mainly pitched to contact and let her defense do the work behind her, while Sackett battled some early control issues but still racked up the strikeouts.
The scoreless tie was eventually broken in the sixth as the Bulldogs took advantage of a throwing error from the Sycamores. After
Logan Kelley grounded out to the pitcher,
Heidi Wheeler decided to be aggressive on the base paths and advance to third on the play. Wheeler's decision ultimately paid off as the throw over sailed high and allowed the senior to race home.
With the inning still going, Curry added a key insurance run poking a single through the right side putting the Bulldogs ahead 2-0 with only three outs left for the Sycamores.
Indiana State put up a fight in the seventh, however. The Sycamores started their rally with back-to-back singles to lead off the frame putting a pair on base. A third single, hit by Welch, saw Indiana State erase its zero from the scoreboard to make it a 2-1 ballgame.
In the following at-bat,
Lili Gonzalez came up with a huge defensive play to keep the score at 2-1 throwing a runner out at home off a hard-hit ball to her shortstop position. Driscoll then finished off the game producing a groundout back to her in the pitching circle.
Curry led the Bulldogs in the hitting department in game two going 3-for-4 at the dish with an RBI. All three of her hits were singles. Meanwhile, Driscoll earned her first-career win in the pitcher's circle tossing a complete game with one run allowed off five hits to go along with five strikeouts.
The Bulldogs and Sycamores will close out their series with game three tomorrow. First pitch from Ron Buel Field is slated for 11 a.m. CT. with the game being streamed on ESPN+.
