VALPARAISO, Ind. – The Drake University softball team swept Valparaiso Sunday in a Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader. Drake (14-26, 8-11 MVC) won the first game by a score of 10-2 in five innings and took the series finale from Valpo (5-27, 1-17 MVC) by a score of 6-3. The teams played a doubleheader Sunday after Saturday's two games were rained out.
 
The Bulldogs never trailed in either game as they scored runs in the first innings of both. Game one's scoring started with Addie Lightner's RBI single that scored Libby Ryan in the first. One inning later, Haylee Lehman drove in another run with her RBI single that brought in Aubree Beitzinger. In the third, Emily Valtman continued her hot-hitting, launching a two-run home run, that plated Macy Johnson, who singled and stole second with one out.
 
Drake's offense exploded with six runs in the fifth inning, sending 12 batters to plate, and getting five hits while capitalizing on two errors by Valpo and three walks.
 
Valtman led the offense in the opening game, going 3-for-4 with one double and one home run with four RBI. Johnson and Lehman each had two hits while the team tallied 11.
 
In the circle, Nicole Timmons, worked around one inning of trouble, the third, where she allowed two runs. Timmons earned the win to improve to 7-10 on the year and collect her 40^th career victory, which puts her No. 10 all-time at Drake. She allowed two runs on five hits with four walks and four strikeouts in four innings. Emma Richards ended the game early with a hitless fifth inning that included one strikeout.
 
The Bulldogs jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning of the second game. Lightner drove in Ryan for the game's opening run, Skylar Rigby drew a bases loaded walk for run two and Beitzinger drove in the other with a sacrifice fly.
 
Rigby was responsible for the other three runs as she drove in MaKayla Rice with a double in the third and then followed with another double in the fourth that scored Johnson and Rice.
 
Mackenzie Hupke pitched a complete game to improve to 6-5 on the season. Hupke allowed three earned runs on six hits with nine strikeouts and worked around four walks. She worked around a bases loaded jam in the final inning as Valpo pulled with three runs with one out before she retired two straight hitters and complete the sweep.
 
Alexia Lara had her first-ever three-hit to lead the Bulldogs' offense in game two. Johnson and Rigby each had two hits and Rigby drove in a career-high four runs. As a team, Drake had 12 hits, drew eight walks and stranded 15 baserunners.

Drake visits UNI Tuesday for a 6 p.m. game. The Bulldogs and Panthers split a doubleheader last week at Buel Field.