DES MOINES, Iowa – Nicole Newman (Madison, Wis.) and Nicole Timmons (Davenport, Iowa) threw a perfect game and a no-hitter, respectively, for the Drake University softball team against Evansville Friday in a Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader sweep at Buel Field.
 
Drake (39-14, 23-2 MVC) defeated Evansville (19-28, 9-15 MVC) by scores of 2-0 and 7-0 as it won its ninth MVC series of the season.
 
In game one, Newman, who had already pitched three perfect games this season, struck out the first 16 Purple Aces on her way to tying a career-high with 18 strikeouts. She improved to 25-6 with the victory.
 
At the plate, the Bulldogs faced a tough pitcher in Emily Lockhart who held them hitless until the sixth inning. Kennedy Frank (Chesterfield, Mo.) broke through with a one-out infield single that also moved Macy Johnson (Winterset, Iowa), who drew a one-out walk and then stole second base, to third base. Taryn Pena (Columbia, Ill.) popped out for the second out, but with Newman at the plate next Lockhart threw a wild pitch that Johnson scored on for the game's first run. Newman helped herself with an insurance run on the next pitch driving a ball through the right side that scored Frank for a 2-0 lead. Newman made quick work of the Purple Aces in the seventh inning, getting a leadoff pop out and then back-to-back strikeouts for the win.
 
In the second contest, Timmons bounced back in the circle after a tough performance Wednesday against Iowa State. She struck out the first nine Purple Aces on her way to a career-high 17 strikeouts. She settled for her second career no-hitter as the Purple Aces had a baserunner reach in the fifth on a wild pitch third-strike and another runner in the seventh with a one-out walk. Timmons earned her 14^th win (14-8) to match her win total in her freshman season.
 
The Bulldogs' bats broke out in the second game. Pena came up to bat with Johnson on and one out in the first inning and launched her team-leading seventh home run over the left field fence. She set a new career-high for runs batted in for a season with 36.
 
Two innings later, Pena and Newman each had sacrifice flies that extend Drake's lead to 4-0. The Bulldogs tacked on three more runs in the sixth. Roemmich drove in a pair with a single to centerfield and Libby Ryan (Mount Vernon, Iowa) scored the team's final run on an error by the Aces pitcher, Jaime Nurrenbern, but Roemmich was thrown out trying to score from second on the palte.
 
Timmons worked around the one-walk in the final inning with back-to-back strikeouts to seal the Bulldogs' ninth doubleheader this season.
 
Drake and Evansville close the regular season Saturday with a 12 p.m. game on ESPN+. Prior to the game, a senior ceremony will be held for Frank, Gabbie Jonas (Omaha, Neb.), Newman, Pena and Melissa Schlotzhauer (Pilot Grove, Mo.).