FORT MYERS, FLA. -
The Drake University softball team defeated Florida Gulf Coast, 4-1, behind a
12-hit performance from the offense and a three-hit, 14-strikeout effort from
junior pitcher Brynne Dordel. The
win was the Bulldogs' sixth in a row.
Dordel (Chanhassen, Minn.) was brilliant in the circle,
striking out a career-high 14 batters en route to her eighth victory of the
season. The junior allowed one earned run on three hits while walking three on
the night.
Senior Elena Leon
(West Des Moines, Iowa) led off the game with her sixth home run of the season
and program-best 29th of her career. Freshman Lindsey Vande Wall (Prairie City, Iowa) followed Leon's smash with
an infield single and scored four batters later on an RBI single by senior Carrie Hatfield (Des Moines, Iowa) to
give Drake an early 2-0 lead.
Dordel allowed the lone Eagle run in the first on a Vande
Wall error, but regrouped to throw six shutout innings to finish the game. The
junior allowed two hits and walked two through the first three innings, but
faced just two over the minimum through the final four frames.
Five Bulldogs tallied two hits on the night, with
Hatfield executing RBI singles in the first and the fifth to lead the way. Leon scored twice on the night with her
second run coming on a second-inning RBI single by sophomore Torey Craddock (Tucson, Ariz.).
Drake improved to a Missouri Valley Conference-best 16-6
overall.
The Bulldogs travel to Normal, Ill. to take on Illinois
State in both teams' MVC opener on Saturday. Drake and Illinois State meet in a
doubleheader starting at noon.