COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Drake softball team began its weekend at the Mizzou Invitational on Friday with two games against Wichita State and Miami (OH). The Bulldogs fell in both contests, first to Wichita State, 3-2, and then to Miami (OH) later in the day, 9-5.
Wichita State 3, Drake 2
The first game of the day for the Bulldogs started out as a pitcher's duel between Drake's
Jayme Scheck and WSU's and Jade Sanders. The duo of arms kept the bats silent for the majority of the game with limited hits for either side as the scoreboard read 0-0 through four innings of play.
Finally in the fifth inning Drake broke through for the first runs of the game.
Tatum Aragon found a way against the tough pitching of Sanders and delivered a two-RBI base knock, which scored
Kiley Kindelspire and
Ava Curry.
When the game moved to the sixth, Wichita State tied the game scoring two runs of its own. Scheck's stellar day from the circle was done after Trinity Allen went yard with a solo home run and Kinzey Woody followed with a single. Scheck's final line ended up with a no decision after 5.1 innings, three hits, two earned runs, three strikeouts and five walks.
Ava Husak was called on in relief of Scheck, but Wichita State was able to get to her following a four-pitch walk and an RBI single that knotted the game up at 2-2. Husak was then replaced by
Ashlynn Sheets.
In the seventh, Wichita State secured the win as it quickly loaded the bases with just one out. Johnna Schroeder then stepped into the batter's box and delivered the walk-off hit for the Shockers on a sacrifice fly.
Miami (OH) 9, Drake 5
The RedHawks got the jump on the Bulldogs to begin their game and scored two runs in the bottom of the first off a double by Danitza Hern.
Following a scoreless second inning, Drake cut the deficit in half as Aragon provided her second RBI base hit of the afternoon, but the RedHawks responded right back over the next three innings.
Miami (OH), the No. 14 ranked mid-major in the country, expanded its lead over the Bulldogs plating five runs between the third and the fifth innings. Hern continued to do damage against the Bulldogs pitching adding an RBI single and solo home run to her day at the plate, while a pair of singles and a double tallied the other three runs for the RedHawks during that stretch.
With the score sitting at 7-1 in the sixth, Drake did make a dent in the deficit as
Ava Husak smacked a grand slam to pull the Bulldogs within two runs and sparked a chance for a late inning rally. However, Bailey Manos answered with a two-run long ball in the bottom of the frame to squash the comeback attempt from the Bulldogs.
Drake will be back on the diamond for two more games on Saturday at the Mizzou Invitational. The Bulldogs will get a rematch with Wichita State at 10 a.m. CT and then take on the hosts, Missouri, at 3 p.m. CT. The game against Missouri will be streamed on SEC Network+.
