DES MOINES, Iowa – Junior pitcher Kailee Smith (Murrieta, Calif.) tossed a perfect game for the Drake softball team Sunday afternoon in an 8-0 victory over Loyola in five innings at Buel Field.
 
Drake improved to 28-26 overall and 11-15 in Missouri Valley Conference play with the victory in the regular season finale. The Bulldogs clinched the sixth seed for next week's MVC Tournament in Normal, Ill., where they will play No. 7 Missouri State on Thursday, May 11 at 1:30 p.m. Every game of the MVC Tournament will be broadcast online via The Valley on ESPN3.
 
Smith improved her record to 18-16 as she struck out three Ramblers hitters in the first perfect game since Jessica Hicks did it against Indiana State in 2005. Smith earned two wins and one save in the series sweep of Loyola (26-25, 9-17 MVC) this weekend.
 
Prior to Sunday's game, Drake recognized its 2017 senior class of Kaitlyn Finneran (Morrison, Ill.), Maddie Hooyman (Trenton, Mo.) and Megan Sowa (Gurnee, Ill.). All three started for the Bulldogs and Finneran and Sowa each tallied 2-for-2 performances and Hooyman went 1-for-2. Finneran drove in three runs, Sowa scored twice and Hooyman scored one run as well in their final games at Buel Field.
 
Drake pounded out 12 hits as eight different hitters finished with at least one hit. Freshmen Sarah Maddox (Henderson, Nev.) and Mandi Roemmich (West Des Moines, Iowa) also had two hits each while junior Tasha Alexander (Eddyville, Iowa) drove in a pair of runs.