COLUMBIA, Mo. – After the first day of the Mizzou Tournament was rained out Friday, the Drake University softball split a pair of games on Saturday. Drake (4-11) shutout Kent State, 5-0, before host No. 17 Missouri shutout the Bulldogs, 5-0.
 
Against the Golden Flashes, senior pitcher Nicole Timmons was two outs away from her third career no-hitter as Carlee Selle singled up the middle in the seventh to end the no hit bid. Timmons improved to 2-4 in the circle after she allowed one hit with 10 strikeouts and just two walks. She faced just 24 batters in the game.
 
Freshman Haylee Lehman drove in her first career run in the second inning. Her two-out single to left center scored sophomore Delaney Taylor, who led off the inning with a bunt single. In the fourth inning, Lehman drove in Taylor again, this time with a single through the right side. Taylor led off the fourth with a single up the middle.
 
In the sixth, Drake scored three insurance runs to help seal the victory. Sophomore Aubree Beitzinger drove in Taylor for the first run and senior Macy Johnson drove in the other two runs with a single to left field. Johnson's first hit of the game scored Beitzinger and Skyla Rigby.
 
Taylor had her first career three-hit game and added three runs. Lehman had two hits.
 
Missouri pushed two runs across in the first, added two more in the third on a two-run home run and scored the final run in the fourth.
 
Senior Libby Ryan had two hits off the Tigers while Johnson and Emily Valtman each had one.
 
Going against one of the top offenses in the country, sophomore pitcher Mackenzie Hupke pitched all seven innings and allowed five runs on eight hits with four walks and six strikeouts.
 
Drake closes the Mizzou Tournament Sunday against Iowa State at 10 a.m. and a rematch with Missouri after the in-state game.