SPRINGFIELD, Mo.—The Drury Panthers went 1-1 on the first day of the Drury Classic on Friday at Thompson Field in Springfield. Drury picked up an 8-3 over Minnesota-Crookston, then ended the night with a 7-5 loss to Minnesota-Duluth.
Game one saw Drury take on Minnesota Crookston in a chilly morning contest. The Panthers didn't mind the cold, with
Rylee Kolb walking and moving into scoring position on a passed ball early in the first inning. Drury catcher
Gracie Thomas would drive in Kolb, capitalizing on a Minnesota Crookston error. Panthers' shortstop
AJ Agers then singled to drive in Thomas, giving the Panthers a 2-0 lead after one.
Drury struck again in the second, scoring a run off a
Maggie McKee single that drove in
Sophia Luetticke. The Panthers tacked on another run from a
Rylee Kolb groundout, scoring
Victoria Garland. The Drury offense stayed hot, scoring once more in the third inning after a Luetticke double scored
Taylor Hartsell.
Minnesota Crookston finally found a spark in the fourth inning, scoring three runs on a bases clearing double by Emerson Thompson, making it a 5-3 ballgame.
The Panthers would add some insurance runs in the fifth and sixth innings, with
Victoria Garland doubling in a run and Hartsell driving in two more to make it 8-3.
The Drury pitching duo of
Bailee Nixon and
Kristina Bettis held the Minnesota Crookston offense in check, allowing only three runs and striking out seven combined.
Bailee Nixon got the win for the Panthers and moved to 5-0 on the season, while Bettis picked up her first save of the year. The losing pitcher was Evie Stuck (1-2).
The Panthers out-hit Minnesota-Duluth 12-9 in the second game but dropped a 7-5 decision to the Bulldogs.
Drury tied UMD 3-3 in the third inning with RBI singles from
Gracie Thomas and
Taylor Hartsell. The Bulldogs seized the lead with four runs in the fourth and held off a Drury rally down the stretch. The Panthers threatened with two runs in the sixth to pull within two, 7-5, but could not draw even.
Ryle Kolb went 4 for 4 at the plate with a home run and two batted in, while
Lauren Beier belted her fourth homer of the season.
Kaley Adzick (0-2) took the loss in relief, while Maddy Walsh (1-0) came out of the bullpen for Minnesota-Duluth to get the win.
The Panthers return to the field for Day Two of the Drury Classic on Saturday. Drury will take on 12
th ranked Central Oklahoma at 1:30 pm, then will face Culver-Stockton at 5:30 pm at Thompson Field.
#allweDUiswin
