EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Drake University softball team completed a three-game sweep over Evansville Sunday afternoon with a 3-0 win on the opening weekend of Missouri Valley Conference play.
 
Drake (19-9, 3-0 MVC) avenged a three-game sweep by Evansville (7-18, 0-3 MVC) during the 2017 season.
 
Sunday, the Bulldogs won a classic pitching duel as Nicole Newman (Madison, Wis.) and Nicole Timmons (Davenport, Iowa) teamed up and shut down the Purple Aces.
 
Newman started and went three innings and allowed just two hits with seven strikeouts and one walk. Her seven strikeouts give her 646 in her career and moved her past former teammate Rebekah Schmidt (2012-15, 644) for fifth all-time in program history.
 
Timmons pitched the final four innings and allowed just two hits with four strikeouts and worked around three walks. She improved to 7-4 on the season with the outstanding relief appearance.
 
Newman and Purple Aces starter Morgan Florey battled the first three innings as both team's offenses struggled. The Bulldogs had zero hits while Florey struck out seven batters. Newman was just as good, giving up two hits, but she punched out seven Purple Aces on strikes.
 
Drake broke through in the fourth inning as Mandi Roemmich (West Des Moines, Iowa) started the frame with a single and Kennedy Frank (Chesterfield, Mo.) followed with a walk. Both moved up after a wild pitch by Florey. Macy Johnson (Winterset, Iowa), a lefty batter, then drove a ball to the opposite field that scored Roemmich for the 1-0 lead. Johnson then stole second and Taryn Pena (Columbia, Ill.) was hit by a pitch to the load bases with zero outs. However, Florey settled in and retired the next three batters to escape anymore trouble.
 
Evansville threatened in the bottom of the fourth inning as the Purple Aces hit back-to-back singles off Timmons, but Timmons settled in and retired the next three batters, including a pair of strikeouts.
 
Kelsey Wright (Olathe, Kan.) added two insurance runs in the sixth inning. Wright, who entered as a pinch hitter with two outs, ripped a double to right field that scored Abby Buie (Gardner, Kan.) and Sarah Maddox (Henderson, Nev.).  
 
Drake returns to Indiana next weekend for more MVC action as the Bulldogs visit Indiana State, March 24-25. The three-game series against the Sycamores will be broadcast on The Valley on ESPN3.