CARBONDALE, Ill. – The Drake University softball team swept Southern Illinois in a Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader Saturday at Charlotte West Stadium. Drake (27-9, 10-0 MVC) and SIU (20-14, 4-5 MVC) were originally scheduled to play at Buel Field in Des Moines, but the three-game series moved to Carbondale due to forecasted inclement weather for Des Moines, Iowa. As the designated home team, the Bulldogs won game one by a score of 1-0 and game two, 7-2, as they have won 13-straight games.
 
Redshirt junior pitcher Nicole Newman (Davenport, Iowa) dominated the opening game with her first career no-hitter along with tying her career-high of 17 strikeouts. She walked just two Salukis and improved to 12-2 on the season. Newman, who has several impressive one-hitters in her career, is now No. 2 all-time at Drake in career strikeouts with 694. Newman has 54 career wins, which ranks fourth all-time in program history.
 
Junior Taryn Pena (Columbia, Ill.), who earlier this week was named MVC Player and Scholar-Athlete of the Week for the first time for each award, drove in the winning run with a fielder's choice to left field in the third inning. Senior Tasha Alexander (Eddyville, Iowa) led off the frame with a single followed by a walk to sophomore Mandi Roemmich (West Des Moines, Iowa). After a strikeout by junior Kennedy Frank (Chesterfield, Mo.) and a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt by Macy Johnson (Winterset, Iowa), Pena hit a ball to left field and Alexander scored as Roemmich was out at third base due to a force out.
 
Sophomore Sarah Maddox (Henderson, Nev.) and Newman each had two hits. Newman struck out the first four batters of the game and had four innings where she recorded all three outs via strikeouts.
 
Drake had another stellar pitching performance in the second game, this time from freshman Nicole Timmons (Davenport, Iowa). Timmons tossed a complete game with six strikeouts and allowed just two earned runs and one walk. The runs were scored on a two-run home run by Sydne Jones in the fourth inning. Timmons, who improved to 9-4, allowed just one other Salukis' hit.
 
Redshirt senior Ashley Chambers (Ankeny, Iowa) drove in the Bulldogs' first runs in the second inning. Chambers hit a two-run RBI single that scored Maddox and junior Melissa Schlotzhauer (Pilot Grove, Mo.). Alexander added another run in the frame with a sacrifice fly that plated senior Kelsey Wright (Olathe, Kan.) and increased lead to 3-0.
 
After Jones' home run cut Drake's lead to 3-2, the Bulldogs answered with two more runs in the fourth. The first run came courtesy of Roemmich, who drove in Maddox with a single. Frank followed with a single that scored Chambers. Wright drove in two insurance runs in the fifth inning with a single as Pena and Schlotzhauer scored.
 
Maddox and Roemmich led the offense in the second game as they each had two hits. As a team, the Bulldogs clubbed eight hits and drew five walks.
 
Following Saturday's games, Drake and SIU will close the series Sunday with a single game. First pitch Sunday is now set for 1 p.m.