VERMILLION, S.D. – The Drake softball team hit the road for a midweek non-conference matchup on Tuesday afternoon against the South Dakota Coyotes and fell in a back-and-forth battle due to a walk-off base hit, 6-5.
The Bulldogs were on the board first as they plated one run to get the game started in the first inning. The top of the Drake lineup did its job and produced base runners giving the middle of the order scoring opportunities, which led to
Ava Husak singling in
Kiley Kindelspire.
South Dakota, however, had an immediate response with the top of its order in the home half of the first. The Coyotes led off with a double and in the next at-bat the lead was theirs following a two-run home run by Kia Johnson.
After the second and third innings went scoreless, the two sides each plated a run in the fourth. Kindelspire went from scoring the first run to driving in the second run for Drake with an infield single and the game was tied at 2-2. Despite that, South Dakota answered again and reclaimed its lead off a fielding error, one of four on the day for the Bulldogs.
In the fifth, it was time for the Bulldogs to capitalize off an error by South Dakota. Husak led off the inning with another base hit and promptly advanced all the way to third because of the Coyote miscue in the field. Drake wasted no time brining in Husak as she scored on the next plate appearance, a bunt single by
Natalee Watts, and once again the game was tied, 3-3.
Drake looked to seize the momentum in the sixth and did so for a moment with
Pearson Hall and Husak providing the damage. Hall, the current Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Week, kept her hot streak at the plate going as she roped an RBI double into the right center field gap. Husak, meanwhile, used her fourth hit of the game to drive in Hall and put the Bulldogs up 5-3.
Ultimately, Drake's lead didn't last as the Coyotes matched with two runs of their own to tie the game at 5-5. South Dakota quickly placed two runners in scoring position after back-to-back singles and a sacrifice bunt and brought in the first run on a play at the plate where the runner beat the throw home. The next run immediately came off a successful squeeze play.
When the game moved to the seventh, Drake went down in order while South Dakota played aggressive. The Coyotes used a single and then a key stolen bases to get the winning run in scoring position where Autumn Iversen delivered the game-winning hit on a single to right field.
There were 25 total hits in the ballgame with South Dakota edging out Drake, 13-12. There were also six total errors – four by Drake and two by USD. Husak led the Bulldogs at the plate going a perfect 4-for-4 with two RBI. Hall and
Emily Veschak also had multi-hit outings with the pair each recording two knocks.
Drake stays on the road this weekend for a conference series against Indiana State from Terre Haute, Indiana. The Bulldogs and Sycamores are scheduled for a doubleheader on Friday and a single game on Saturday, but changes could be made due to forecasted weather.
