EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Strong pitching helped the Drake Bulldogs sweep the Evansville Purple Aces Saturday at Cooper Stadium. The Bulldogs won game one, 2-0 and game two, 6-1.

Drake improved to 22-27 on the season and 13-10 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Evansville falls to 15-34 on the season and 5-18 in the MVC.

In the opener, Jordan Gronewold (Carlisle, Iowa) tossed a four-hit shutout with two strikeouts and allowed just one walk. At the plate, she blasted her third home run of the season in the second inning.

Drake added an insurance run in the sixth inning after a throwing error by Evansville's catcher Halie Malone on a double steal attempt by Amy Pierce (Olathe, Kan.) and Torey Craddock (Tucson, Ariz.) allowed Pierce to score.

The Bulldogs seven, eight and nine hitters (Nicole Randel, Alpine Calif.; Liz Buck, Overland Park, Kan.; and Macie Silliman, Winterset, Iowa) each collected one hit in game one. Craddock had the other base knock for Drake.

Rebekah Schmidt (Cottage Grove, Minn.) started game two and the freshman pitched seven innings and allowed just one unearned run on one hit and struck out nine. She improved her record to 6-8 this season.

Drake's bats busted out with six runs on 11 hits and were helped by five Evansville errors in the second game. Gronewold, Pierce, and Hayley Nybo (Minnetonka, Minn.) each had two base hits.

Five runs in the third inning helped Drake put the game away as the Dogs batted around and knocked Purple Aces' starter Taylor Perry out of the game.