CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The Drake softball team took its four-game winning streak on the road to UNI on Tuesday evening, but the Bulldogs came up short, putting an end to the streak, falling to the Panters, 8-7, from the Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex.
 
The Bulldogs got the scoring started early in the contest as they took a 2-0 lead following their first at-bats of the game. After placing two runners on base, Sami Miller drove in the first run of the game with base hit to right center. Next up was Tatum Aragon, who provided a productive at-bat with a sacrifice fly for the second run.
 
In the second, the Bulldogs struck again to increase their lead to 5-0. Miller came up to bat with a pair of runners on base again and the fifth year player took a pitch right in her wheelhouse over the wall in left center for a three-run homer.
 
Miller's big day continued during her next plate appearance in the top of the fourth inning. Miller went back to the small ball route this time and drove in another run with her third hit of the contest and pushed Drake's lead to 6-0. Five of Drake's runs at this point in the game were driven in by the Mason City, Iowa, native.
 
The bottom of the fourth is when Drake ran into some trouble, however. The Panthers used a pair of home runs, a solo shot and a grand slam, to pull within one of the Bulldogs, 6-5.
 
Drake responded in the top of the fifth with some power of its own. Frakie Rita got in on the long ball action with a drive to right field that gave the Bulldogs a two-run advantage at 7-5. The solo shot marked Rita's first homer of the season.
 
Using its newfound momentum, UNI ultimately tied the game up in its half of the fifth frame. An RBI double from Kate Lappe scored the first run for the Panthers that was later followed up with an RBI single by Ella Smithson, who hit the grand slam earlier.

After a scoreless sixth and seventh frames from the Bulldogs, UNI took advantage of its opportunity and won the game on a walk off single in the bottom of the seventh to hand Drake the loss.
 
Ava Curry and Miller each had multi-hit performances for the Bulldogs with Miller ending her day going 3-for-4 with a home run and five RBI. Peyton Driscoll suffered the loss after her 3.0 innings in relief of starting pitcher Emma Dighton.
 
The Bulldogs will have a quick turnaround as they take on UNI again from Cedar Falls tomorrow with first pitch scheduled for 5:00 p.m.