DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake softball team was back on the diamond for a non-conference doubleheader against the South Dakota Coyotes Wednesday afternoon and went 1-1 on the day. The Bulldogs were shutout in game one, but bounced back in game two with a walk off winner by Freshman Ava Curry.
 
South Dakota 3, Drake 0
It didn't take long for the Coyotes to take the lead in the first game of the day against the Bulldogs. In the top of the first, Tatum Villotta led off with a bunt single and was immediately brought in by Ella McGee on a triple. McGee scored to give the Coyotes a 2-0 lead during the next at-bat as she raced home on a groundout to short off the bat of Delaney White.
 
Following scoreless innings in the second and third, South Dakota tacked on another run in fourth. Abi Brown provided the RBI single adding to Drake's deficit.
 
The Bulldogs tried their best to get some offense going, but could never string any hits together against South Dakota starting pitcher McKenna Young.
 
Drake wound up with seven hits in the contest with Curry, Tatum Aragon, and Sami Miller recording two hits each, and was just one shy of South Dakota's eight but the rest of the offense was never able to bring a run home.
 
Drake 3, South Dakota 2
Game two of the day started out very similar to game one with South Dakota taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Madison Evans provided the power for the Coyotes with home run to left field.
 
The Bulldogs countered in the bottom half of the frame, however, to cut the deficit in half. A two-out base knock from freshman Logan Kelley scored Curry, who led off with a single of her own to keep the Bulldogs in striking distance.
 
From that point on the starting pitchers, Paige Bedsworth for Drake and Clara Edwards for South Dakota, both got in a groove. The Bulldogs and Coyotes posted zeroes on the scoreboard as both arms matched each other out-for-out.
 
It took until the bottom of the seventh for the next runs to be scored with Drake down to their last at-bats. With one out, Carey Koenig drew a walk to give the Bulldogs an all-important base runner and advanced into scoring position off a wild pitch.
 
Molly Hoekstra's name was called on to pinch hit moments later and the senior provided a clutch double to score Koenig and tie the game up at 2-2.
 
By Hoekstra keeping the game alive, it gave Curry the opportunity to be the hero and once again the freshman phenom came through. Curry took a pitch out over the plate and pulled it down the right field line driving in the winning run. It marked the second walk off hit for Curry this season.
 
Curry had herself another multi-hit performance in game two and Koenig also provide two of Drake's seven hits. Bedsworth was credited with the win, her team leading sixth of the season, after tossing a complete game with two earned runs off five hits and four strikeouts.
 
The Bulldogs will now hit the road for the weekend as they take on the Evansville Purple Aces in a three-game Missouri Valley Conference series, April 11-13. First pitch for Friday's series opener is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.