EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Drake softball team began its weekend series with a dominate performance on Friday evening defeating Evansville 8-0 in the series opener from James and Dorothy Cooper Stadium.
 
The Bulldogs were the first to strike on the scoreboard as Sami Miller drove in the first run with a double off the wall in left field. Ava Curry led off the game with a walk and scored the run using her speed on the base paths racing from first to home.
 
Drake used a big second inning to separate further from the Purple Aces hanging a five-spot in the frame. The Bulldogs quickly loaded the bases following a base hit, a hit by pitch, and an error from Evansville putting them in a prime position to score some runs. In the next at-bat Sam Tourtillott was hit by another pitch to bring in one run.
 
The next four runs that Drake scored came off one swing of the bat by Emma Dighton. Following a pitching change by Evansville, the senior got a hold of pitch right in her sweet spot and sent it over the left field wall for a grand slam. The deep fly marked her ninth home run of the season and made it a 6-0 ballgame.
 
Following a scoreless third, the Bulldogs were back to scoring in the fourth. With another bases loaded opportunity, Molly Hoekstra, the starting pitcher for Drake, helped her own cause poking a base hit through the left side scoring one run. In the next at-bat Heidi Wheeler made it 8-0 with a sacrifice fly.
 
Needing just three outs in the fifth to enact the run-rule, Hoekstra got the job done to secure the shutout victory. She picked up her fourth win of the season and finished with a final line of 5.0 innings pitched, no runs, one hit, three strikeouts and four walks. She also went 3-for-3 at the dish with an RBI and run scored.
 
Other notable offensive outputs from the Bulldogs were Miller who went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles and Dighton with her grand slam.
 
The Bulldogs and Purple Aces will be back in action for game two of the series tomorrow afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 2:00 p.m.