CHICAGO – The Drake University softball team clinched the 2018 Missouri Valley Conference Regular Season title with its doubleheader sweep at Loyola Saturday afternoon. Drake, which has won three MVC titles in school history, including two in the past four seasons, is 38-9 overall and 21-0 in league play after its victories Saturday by scores of 7-1 and 6-3.
 
The Bulldogs are riding a program-record 24-game winning streak and today's pair of wins sets a new school record for most Valley wins in a season. Drake will be the No. 1 seed for the MVC Tournament, May 10-12, which it will host at Buel Field in Des Moines.
 
In Saturday's first game, Drake staked a 2-0 lead in the first inning behind two base-loaded walks, the first of which was drawn by Taryn Pena (Columbia, Ill.) and the next was drawn by Kelsey Wright (Olathe, Kan.). The Bulldogs drew three walks and had base hits by Mandi Roemmich (West Des Moines, Iowa) and Macy Johnson (Winterset, Iowa) in the inning.
 
Drake broke open the game with a five-run, fifth-inning with seven hits, all singles, and took advantage of one Ramblers' error. Tasha Alexander (Eddyville, Iowa), Sarah Maddox (Henderson, Nev.), Pena and Wright each hit RBI singles in the inning.
 
Pitcher Nicole Newman (Madison, Wis.) allowed her first earned run to an MVC opponent this season in the second inning when Allyson Ivey hit a solo home run. Later, Ivey had the only other Loyola hit with a fourth-inning double, but Newman retired the next 10 hitters in order, including seven strikeouts. Newman improved to 17-2 with the complete game and finished with 11 strikeouts.
 
Roemmich led the Bulldogs' offensive attack from the leadoff spot in the order with a game-high three hits. Pena had two hits and two runs batted in while Wright drove in three runs. As a team, Drake pounded out 10 hits as they set a new program record with its 20^th Valley win this season.
 
Pena drove in Drake's first run in game two with a sacrifice fly in the first inning. Pena plated Kennedy Frank (Chesterfield, Mo.), who doubled to center field with one out and then moved to third on a passed ball.
 
Drake added two runs in the second inning with both coming with two outs. Alexander doubled to left field as Wright, who lined a one-out single and then stole second, scored. Alexander later scored the second run after an error by the Ramblers' third baseman.
 
Hustle by the Bulldogs led to the fourth run in the third. Libby Ryan (Mount Vernon, Iowa), who pinch ran for Kailee Smith (Murrieta, Calif.) after Smith's leadoff single, scored all the way from first base on Maddox's single to center.
 
Loyola cut Drake's lead to 4-3 in the fifth inning with a three-run home run by Katie Kasubke. However, the Bulldogs answered and extended their lead by scoring two runs in the sixth. Roemmich doubled with one out to score Gabbie Jonas (Omaha, Neb.), who pinch ran for Ashlie Chambers (Ankeny, Iowa), who had a leadoff single. The final run came courtesy of Macy Johnson (Winterset, Iowa), who lined a ball through the left side to score Roemmich.
 
Smith, who was the game's designated player, pitched the final two innings in relief of Nicole Timmons (Davenport, Iowa), who started and went five innings and allowed three runs on six hits with three walks and five strikeouts. Smith retired the first three hitters faced in the sixth inning and then worked around her throwing error to begin the seventh for her league-leading seventh save. She had three strikeouts. Timmons, who continues to have an outstanding first season as a Bulldog, improved to 13-4 with the win.
 
Drake and Loyola will finish their series Sunday at 11 a.m. The game will be broadcast on The Valley on ESPN3.