SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Drake University softball team blanked the Missouri State Bears, 9-0, in six innings in Missouri Valley Conference play on Sunday night (March 15) at Killian Stadium.

Senior Rebekah Schmidt (Cottage Grove, Minn.) pitched six scoreless innings and allowed just three hits while striking out six for Drake (10-10, 1-0 MVC) as she moved to 5-6 on the season. At the plate, Schmidt had one double, one run scored and drove in two runs.

The Bulldogs pounded out 12 hits, including five extra base hits, as seven different players recorded at least one hit. Senior Laura Brewer (Waukee, Iowa) led Drake with a 3-for-4 performance with one double, one run batted in and two runs scored while freshman Kailee Smith (Murrieta, Calif.), senior Sarah Ryan (Mount Vernon, Iowa) and sophomore Megan Sowa (Gurnee, Ill.) each added two hits.

Freshman Kelsey Wright (Olathe, Kan.) wasted little time getting Drake's offense going as she started the game off with a solo home run, her second of the season, to put Drake up 1-0. The Bulldogs added two unearned runs to go up 3-0 after an error by Missouri State on a ball hit by Smith. Drake later scored one run in the third inning and one in the fourth to go ahead 5-0.

Drake ended the game early with four more runs, all-coming with two outs, in the sixth inning. After a single by Ryan in between two fly outs, Sowa recorded a single, and Brewer followed with a double to plate Ryan. Schmidt then scored Sowa and Brewer with a double of her own. The final run came off Smith's second double of the game as it scored pinch runner Maddie Hooyman (Trenton, Mo.)

The Bears and Bulldogs will close out the series Monday afternoon with a doubleheader with first pitch of game one set for 2 p.m