Drake softball on May 7 topped Murray State, 8-2, to advance to the second round of the 2025 Missouri Valley Conference softball tournament.
The No. 8-seed Bulldogs got off to a hot start, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first inning. Frankie Rita notched the first RBI with a single and later scored on a wild pitch, and the Bulldogs took advantage of runners on base thereafter.
Drake then extended its lead in the bottom of the fourth when Natalee Watts tallied an RBI single, and Ava Curry made it an 8-0 game with a two-run double to centerfield.
A Murray State solo home run in the fifth and an RBI triple in the seventh broke the shutout from starting pitcher Paige Bedsworth, who earned the win after tossing five innings with one earned run, two hits allowed, one walk and two strikeouts.
Jayme Scheck closed the game out for the Bulldogs in the circle over the final two innings, allowing one earned run, two hits and one walk with one strikeout.
Drake will face No. 1-seed Southern Illinois in the quarterfinals at 10 a.m. CT, May 8.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Drake softball beats Murray State in first round of MVC Tournament
Reporting by Gus Martin, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
