DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake softball team was back on the diamond at Ron Buel Field on Thursday afternoon for a quarterfinal matchup in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament against the No. 1 seed Salukis from Southern Illinois. The Bulldogs ultimately fell to SIU by a score of 12-4 in five innings.
 
Following a scoreless first inning, SIU grabbed the lead over the Bulldogs with a five-run second. The Salukis quickly loaded up the bases after a couple of walks and then used some small ball to bring in their runs. A trio of RBI singles plated all five runs in the frame for Southern Illinois.
 
As the contest moved into the third inning, the Salukis continued to do damage. SIU proceeded to plate seven runs in the frame to go up 12-0 over Drake. After an error and base knock plated the first two runs, the Salukis sent two homers, a three-run shot and a two-run shot, over the outfield wall to build their lead.
 
The Bulldogs did make a small dent in their deficit in the fourth inning, however. With one runner on, senior Carey Koenig showed off her power and recorded her fourth long ball of the season to put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard.
 
Needing to score three runs to avoid the run-rule from being enacted, the Bulldogs began the top of the fifth with back-to-back doubles from Sam Tourtillott and Logan Kelley. A couple batters later, Ava Curry drove in the Bulldog duo with a double of her own making it a 12-4 ballgame.
 
Unfortunately for Drake, it couldn't push the third run across the plate and the game came to an end on a fielder's choice force out.
 
Curry finished the day 2-for-2 with two RBI, a walk, and a run scored. Koenig also drove in a pair and scored one in her 1-for-2 day. Starter Peyton Driscoll collected the pitching loss after throwing just 2.1 innings.
 
Drake's 2025 campaign ends with a 22-32 record overall and a 12-15 mark in MVC play.