EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Drake University softball team blanked Evansville, 8-0, on Sunday to capture its second-straight Missouri Valley Conference series. Junior Rebekah Schmidt (Cottage Grove, Minn.) launched two home runs and finished 3-for-4 with four runs batted in. Schmidt also pitched 4.2 innings in the circle and allowed just one hit, while striking out five to pick up the win and improve her record to 12-10.

Drake (13-24, 5-7 MVC) wasted little time scoring runs on Sunday as junior Laura Brewer (Waukee, Iowa) drove in two runs with a single, and later scored on a wild pitch to give the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead after the first inning. Brewer went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI in the contest and is 15-for-26 (.577) at the plate in the last eight games.

Schmidt's first home run, a two-run shot, in the third inning extended the lead to 5-0. In the fifth inning, junior Hayley Nybo (Minnetonka, Minn.) blasted a solo home run, her fourth homer on the season, to add to the lead. Nybo's blast moved her into third all-time in Drake history in career home runs with 23.

Another two-run bomb from Schmidt in the seventh inning closed out the scoring for the Bulldogs, who have now won seven of their last 10 games.

Evansville (16-23, 4-10 MVC) was held to just five hits by Schmidt and sophomore Mariah McKinnon (Oxford, Iowa), who started the game and tossed 2.1 innings and allowed four hits.

Drake will have a quick turnaround as it travels to in-state rival Northern Iowa on Tuesday, April 15 for a doubleheader against the Panthers. First pitch in Cedar Falls is scheduled for 4 p.m.

The Bulldogs return to Ron Buel Field on Friday, April 18 to host Wichita State. The two teams will play two games starting at 2 p.m.