Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score | Season Stats
 
SPRINGFIELD – Drake right-hander Kailee Smith threw two complete-game gems to help her Bulldogs to a series sweep of Missouri State here Friday by scores of 3-1 and 1-0.
 
On a day when the Bears (22-22, 10-13 MVC) were honoring their four seniors, the MSU bats went cold. The home club scattered just eight hits off Smith – seven singles – but could manage just a single run in 14 innings against her.
 
"Our pitching gave up one earned run in two games today," said Bears' head coach Holly Hesse. "Our team has to do something at the plate. We're not doing that right now. If we do anything at all at the plate, we have a chance to win both of these games."
 
The third game of the weekend series has been cancelled due to a threat of severe weather in Springfield on Saturday and Sunday.
 
Game 1
Drake 3, Missouri State 1
 
Three unearned runs in the top of the fifth was all Drake needed to secure a 3-1 come-from-behind win over the Bears.
 
Missouri State scored the game's first run in the third on an RBI single to left by Hailee Vigneaux.
 
MSU starter Kaitlin Beason (12-10) seemed to have the Bulldogs on their heels for most of the game, but a mishandled sacrifice bunt extended the fifth for DU. Two-out hits by Sarah Maddox and Tasha Alexander pushed across the tying and go-ahead runs for the visiting club.
 
Missouri State got just one base runner the rest of the way – a two-out double by senior Elena Gambill in the seventh – and stranded four for the ball game.
 
Beason struck out three and walked two in 6.0 innings of work while surrendering eight singles. Erin Griesbauer pitched the seventh and gave up just a single that was erased on a double play.
 
Drake starter Kailee Smith gave up five hits and struck out two in a complete-game effort.
 
 
Game 2
Drake 1, Missouri State 0
 
The Bulldogs (25-25, 8-15 MVC) rallied in the fifth inning again in game two. A one-out sac fly Taryn Pena plated Abby Bule who started the rally with a single to center for the game's only run.
 
Smith (16-16) allowed just three MSU hits and fanned two to hand the Bears their seventh straight defeat.
 
Missouri State threatened in the fourth with back-to-back singles by Erika Velasquez Zimmer and Hailee Vigneaux to start the inning. But Smith was game for the challenge, getting a ground ball, a strikeout and a pop up to end the MSU challenge.
 
Madison Jones got as far as third base in the home half of the fifth, but was stranded after a line out to left and a grounder to Smith by Velasquez Zimmer.
 
MSU starter Holly Kelley (9-10) went 4.1 innings, gave up just two hits and struck out four before giving way to Beason in the fifth.
 
Vigneaux's hit in the fourth was the 100^th of her career. She and Madison Jones each finished the day with two hits apiece for the doubleheader.