DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Wichita State softball team (32-26, 13-12) split a Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader with Drake (25-24, 12-10) Saturday afternoon, keeping alive hopes of a fourth-racplace finish in the league race Saturday afternoon at Buel Field.

The winner of tomorrow's game will likely clinch the fourth seed for next week's MVC Tournament in Carbondale. The teams square of at noon tomorrow at Buel Field in the regular-season finale. Ashly Bright broke the MVC single-season strikeout record in game one with 365, but took the loss in game two for the Shockers.

Game One: Shockers 3, Drake 0
Senior pitcher Ashly Bright (21-15) became the Valley's single-season strikeout queen, striking out 14 to pass SIU's Erin Stremsterfer (2001) with her 365th strikeout of the season, a new conference record.

The Shockers loaded the bases in the first with back-to-back singles by Britnee Barnett and Cynthia verhulst, but WSU stranded three after Jamie Hull went down swinging to end the opening frame of the game.

Drake's first rally came in the bottom of the second when Susan Slycord led the inning off with a single to left field. Ashly Bright answered the threat however, getting Elena Leon to pop up on a bunt attempt before ending the threat on a fly out to left.

WSU loaded the bases in the fourth with nobody out after Heather Gerritse led the frame off with a single to left, before Jamie Hull and Jamie Stanclift each drew walks. Kiersten Dixon drove in the first run of the day two batters later with a sacrifice fly that brought home Caley Roberts, who was running for Gerritse, giving WSU a 1-0 lead.

Jamie Hull's RBI single in the fifth gave the Shockers a 2-0 lead, scoring Kara L'Huillier who led the inning of with a base hit, her second of the game.

A two-out double by Jamie Hull brought home Gerritse from first, after the catcher was hit by a pitch with two outs a batter earlier, giving the Shockers a 3-0 lead going to the bottom of the seventh,

Drake led off the frame with a single by Jenna DeLong followed by a single by Kelsey Kahler. Bright recorded two strikeouts before walking Kristin Birocci, bringing Jaci Faidley to the plate, one of the league's top sluggers with 11 home runs on the season. Bright answered the call yet again however, setting down Faidley on three pitches to pick up her 21st win of the season.

Bright worked the complete-game four-hit shutout, walking four and striking out 14, one shy of her own school record. Brynne Dordel (15-10) took the loss for the Bulldogs, going all seven innings giving up three runs on eight hits walking five and striking out seven.



Game Two: Drake 5, Shockers 4
The Shockers used four-straight hits in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead thanks to a Gerritse RBI single that fell in shallow left to score L'Huillier, giving WSU the early advantage.

Drake answered with a run in the bottom of the first to tie the game on a RBI single by Erin Mollohan.

Neither team was able to put together much offense again until the fifth as Cynthia Verhulst's 10th home run of the season, a two-run shot that gave WSU a 3-1 lead after scoring Barnett as well, after the senior reached on a one-out triple.

DU tied the game in the bottom of the frame with back-to-back RBI singles by Buss and Birocci to tie the game after chasing Hull earlier in the inning. Bright came on in a save situation, but moved into the decision after Drake scored two to tie the game, 3-3. The Bulldog barrage continued after Faidley singled to left to bring home Buss, giving DU its first lead of the day, 4-3. Drake's fifth-straight hit of the inning gave the Bulldogs a 5-3 lead.

The Shockers answered with an unearned run in the sixth on a Barnett RBI single, but could not get any offense going in the seventh.

The four-run fifth was all the offense Drake starter Jenna DeLong (7-8) needed, shutting down WSU's hot bats to pick up the win. Bright was saddled with the loss after allowing the final two runs of the fifth. The senior left the game with two outs in the sixth with an injury, leaving freshman Brianna Smet to come on to finish the inning with a strikeout.

DeLong worked 5.1 innings giving up nine hits and four runs, while Mandy Osborn picked up the save giving up just one hit in 1.2 innings of work.