DES MOINES, Iowa – Taryn Pena (Columbia, Ill.) went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run and Kailee Smith (Murrieta, Calif.) pitched a three-hit shutout for the Drake University softball team in a 6-0 win over UNI Tuesday night at Buel Field.
 
Drake (36-9, 19-0 MVC) set a new school record for single season wins with the home victory over UNI (23-22, 8-11 MVC). The Bulldogs have won 22 straight games as they will next play at Loyola this Saturday and Sunday.
 
In third inning, Kennedy Frank (Chesterfield, Mo.) drew a one-out walk and hustled into second base and was safe on a fielder's choice by Macy Johnson (Winterset, Iowa) before Pena's second home run of the season that was a deep ball over the left field wall.
 
Drake tacked on three runs in the fifth inning, all with two outs. Pena drove in the first run in the fifth inning with an RBI single through the left side as Johnson scored. One batter later, Smith's ball went through the legs of the UNI shortstop for an error as Pena, who advanced to second on the throw in, scored. Abby Buie (Gardner, Kan.), who came into the game one inning earlier, singled to left field as pinch runner Melissa Schlotzhauer (Pilot Grove, Mo.) scored.
 
Pena finished with four RBI and is now tied with Sarah Maddox (Henderson, Nev.) for the team lead with 26. Johnson, Maddox and Pena each finished with two hits. Smith tossed her second shutout of the season to improve to 8-3. Smith finished with four strikeouts and one walk.
 
This weekend's series at Loyola will be broadcast on The Valley on ESPN3. Following the trip to Chicago, Drake returns home to face Missouri State, May 5-6. The series with the Bears will close out the regular season for the Bulldogs.