CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Junior pitcher Nicole Newman (Madison, Wis.) tossed a no-hitter with 13 strikeouts and freshman Sarah Maddox (Henderson, Nev.) slugged her first two home runs, including an inside the park grand slam, for the Drake University softball team in an 8-0 win over South Dakota State in five innings on Friday evening at the UNI-Dome Classic to start the 2017 season.
 
Newman, the reigning Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year, allowed just two walks and faced two batters over the minimum. Maddox finished 2-for-3 with five runs batted in and two runs scored. Senior Megan Sowa (Gurnee, Ill.) had a pair of hits, including one double, and scored two runs. Junior leadoff hitter Kelsey Wright (Olathe, Kan.) drew two walks and scored two runs. Sophomore Taryn Pena (Columbia, Ill.) drove in a pair of runs.
 
Maddox's grand slam came in the first inning and her second home run occurred in the third frame. Pena drew a bases loaded walk in the second inning to put Drake up 5-0 and her sacrifice fly was the Bulldogs' final run. Newman tallied three strikeouts in one inning four times on Friday night.
 
Drake has a fast turnaround with two games on Saturday morning. The Bulldogs play Omaha at 8:15 a.m. and then Montana after the conclusion of their game against the Mavericks.