DES MOINES, Iowa - Senior pitcher Jenna DeLong led the Drake University softball team at the plate and in the circle in Sunday's 4-0 Missouri Valley Conference victory over Indiana State. Her efforts helped Drake sweep its MVC-opening series against the Sycamores and improve to 15-11 overall and 3-0 in the MVC.

DeLong (Dalton Gardens, Idaho) led off Drake's half of the first inning with a solo shot to right, her sixth of the season and second-straight leadoff bomb. The senior also drove in a run with a well-placed bunt in a wacky fourth inning that saw the Bulldogs plate three runs on three hits and a costly Sycamore error.

DeLong shut down the Indiana State offense, allowing just two hits in seven innings of work from the circle to earn her ninth win of the season and 52nd of her career. She was efficient in her seven innings, needing just 82 pitches to close the game.

The Drake offense totaled nine hits, including two each from DeLong and junior Torey Craddock (Tucson, Ariz.). Senior Erin Mollohan (Tinley Park, Ill.) went 1-for-3 with a fourth-inning RBI.

The win helped the Bulldogs start 3-0 in MVC play for the first time during the Rich Calvert Era (2003-Present). It also marked Drake's first three-game sweep of an MVC opponent since the 2009 team took three-straight from Evansville.

The Bulldogs travel to Peoria, Ill. for a three-game MVC series at Bradley next weekend. The teams open with a Saturday doubleheader beginning at noon.