VALPARAISO, Ind. – The Drake University softball team completed a Missouri Valley Conference series sweep of Valparaiso Sunday at the Valpo Softball Complex.
 
Drake (24-13, 10-1 MVC) routed Valparaiso (12-17, 2-9 MVC) 14-3 as it won its fourth-straight MVC series.
 
The Bulldogs had 14 hits as every hitter had at least one, led by Sarah Maddox (Henderson, Nev.), who went 3-for-4 with one double and equaled her career-high of five RBI. Laura Anderson (Boone, Iowa) hit her first career home run, a three-run shot in a six-run first inning. Libby Ryan (Mount Vernon, Iowa) collected two hits and drove in a career-high three RBI. As a team, Drake drew nine walks.
 
Nicole Timmons (Davenport, Iowa) earned the win in the circle and improved to 10-7. Timmons allowed three runs on two hits and five walks with four strikeouts in four innings. Valpo scored its only runs of the series on a three-run home run by Hannah Dybalski in the fourth inning. Nicole Newman (Madison, Wis.) pitched three scoreless innings of relief with nine strikeouts and just one walk.
 
Maddox drove in two runs in the first inning with her double while Newman drove in the game's first run on an infield single. Later, Maddox drove in the Bulldogs' fourth-inning run and had one RBI in the six-run seventh-inning. Ryan hit RBI singles in the sixth and seventh innings. Melissa Schlotzhauer (Pilot Grove, Mo.) hit an RBI single in the seventh and Kennedy Frank (Chesterfield, Mo.) drove in the team's final run with a groundout in the team's final at bat.
 
Drake begins a nine-game homestand Tuesday night with an in-state doubleheader against UNI. First pitch against the Panthers is scheduled for 4 p.m. and both games will be on ESPN+.