Box Score SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Drake University softball team rallied for a 9-5 win over Missouri State Sunday, April 28 in its final regular season road game.
 
Drake (36-14, 21-2 MVC), which trailed 5-4 going into its final at bat against Missouri State (28-19, 12-10 MVC), erased the deficit with a five-run seventh inning when it sent nine batters to the plate. The comeback win clinched back-to-back Missouri Valley Conference Regular Season titles for the first-time ever in program history.
 
Nicole Newman (Madison, Wis.), who allowed her first earned runs in the circle since March 26 at Nebraska, tied the game at 5-all with an RBI single to right center that scored Kennedy Frank (Chesterfield, Mo.). Frank led off the frame with a walk and moved to second on Taryn Pena's (Columbia, Ill.) single to left field.
 
Three batters later, Drake took the lead on a fielder's choice by Abby Buie (Gardner, Kan.) that scored two runs. Buie battled Bears starter Steffany Dickerson in an eight pitch at-bat finally hitting a bouncing ball at Dickerson that she charged and tried to flip home to get Newman who slid in safely. Buie then raced to second base and drew a throw by Dickerson that allowed Gabbie Jonas (Omaha, Neb.), who had reached base in the previous at-bat by on a fielder's choice, to sprint home and slide around another tag attempt. The Bulldogs' next hitter, Libby Ryan (Mount Vernon, Iowa) put the game away with a two-run home run over the left field fence.
 
Newman struck out the first Bear in the seventh, allowed a single to the next batter, but quickly got the final two outs to seal the comeback. The win improved her record to 23-6, her 23 wins are second all-time in program history and the most wins by a Bulldog pitcher since Laurie Bowden won a record 28 in 1990. Newman allowed five runs (two earned) on six hits with one walk and 11 strikeouts. She allowed two earned runs in a game for just the fifth time all season.
 
Mandi Roemmich (West Des Moines, Iowa) led the offense with a three-hit performance, including a clutch bases-clearing fourth inning double that tied the game at 3-3. Newman and Ryan each had two hits and two runs batted in. As a team, Drake had 10 hits and overcame a season-tying three errors in the field.
 
Drake hosts Iowa State Wednesday night at 6 p.m. in the first of its final four regular season games. The Bulldogs return to league action Friday when Evansville visits Buel Field for a 2 p.m. doubleheader. The teams end the season Saturday at 12 p.m. All four games will be streamed on ESPN+.