DES MOINES, Iowa –Sophomore pitcher Nicole Newman (Madison, Wis.) of the Drake University softball team tossed a complete game with 12 strikeouts and the Bulldogs used a five-run second-inning to help defeat Southern Illinois, 7-1, on Saturday afternoon at Ron Buel Field.
Drake improved to 17-11 overall and 7-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference with the series-opening win over SIU, who dropped to 20-9 overall and 5-1 in the MVC.
In the Bulldogs' big second inning the first run came courtesy of an error by SIU, but later the Bulldogs scored four more runs from three-consecutive, run-scoring hits.