EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Drake softball team was back on the diamond Saturday afternoon for game two of its weekend series against Evansville and ended the day with another victory over the Purple Aces, 9-4.
The Bulldogs took control of the game in the top of the first by taking advantage of some control issues from Evansville starting pitcher Sydney Weatherford. Five walks in the frame scored two runs for Drake followed by a two-RBI single from
Sam Tourtillott making it a 4-0 ballgame.
Drake continued to hold its 4-0 lead through the middle stages as neither offense produced any runs.
Peyton Driscoll, the starting pitcher for the Bulldogs, kept the Evansville bats silent allowing just two hits through four innings.
The scoring picked back up in the fifth inning, however. Drake tacked on three more runs to increase its lead to 7-0 after an Evansville error allowed one run to score and
Frankie Rita laced a double in the gap to left center plating the other two runs of the inning.
In the sixth, the Bulldogs pushed their lead out even further to 9-0 with
Ava Curry and
Tatum Aragon joining in on the action. Curry plated the first run hitting a double to left center and Aragon immediately followed with an RBI single.
Evansville eventually got some offense going and broke up the Drake shutout in the bottom of the sixth. Two home runs, a solo shot and a three-run blast, put the Purple Aces on the board and cut the Drake lead to five at 9-4.
That proved to be the final score of the game as Driscoll put an end to any comeback attempt from Evansville securing the game with back-to-back strikeouts.
Curry provided another multi-hit outing for the Bulldog offense going 2-for-4 at the plate with one RBI. Rita led the team with three RBI on the day, while Tourtillott was right behind with two RBI of her own. Driscoll picked up her third win of the season tossing a complete game and struck out five.
Drake and Evansville will close out the series tomorrow with the Bulldogs going for the sweep. First pitch from James & Dorothy Cooper Stadium is scheduled for noon.
