SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Drake University softball team swept a Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader over Missouri State on Friday at Killian Stadium in Springfield. Drake rallied for a 3-1 win in game one and then edged Missouri State for a 1-0 victory in the second game. The third game of the series scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. has been cancelled due to heavy rain forecasted for the Springfield area.
 
The pair of wins Friday improved the Bulldogs' overall record to 25-25 and 8-15 in league play as they fight for one of the final spots in the MVC Tournament to be held May 11-13 in Normal, Ill. Drake has one final MVC series versus Loyola scheduled for next weekend, May 6-7, at Buel Field.
 
Junior pitcher Kailee Smith (Murrieta, Calif.) earned both wins to improve her record to 16-16. Smith pitched all seven innings in each victory and allowed just one earned run on eight total hits with four walks and four strikeouts in 14.0 innings.
 
In the first win, freshman Sarah Maddox (Henderson, Nev.) drove in two runs with a two-out single with the bases loaded in the fifth inning and junior Tasha Alexander (Eddyville, Iowa) followed with her own RBI single for the third and final run.
 
In the seventh inning, Smith allowed a two-out double but coaxed a groundout to the end the game.
 
In the second win, Smith allowed just two Bears' hits in the fourth inning and one hit in the fifth inning.
 
Sophomore Taryn Pena (Columbia, Ill.) drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning.
 
Freshman Mandi Roemmich (West Des Moines, Iowa) led Drake's offense with four hits in the doubleheader. Maddox finished with two hits in the first game and one in the second game.
 
Drake hosts one final non-conference game before the Loyola series on Tuesday when Iowa visits Buel Field for a 6 p.m. game.