Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score | Highlights | Season Stats | MVC-Only Stats
 
SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State got a two-hit, complete-game performance from Steffany Dickerson and some clutch hitting as part of a three-run sixth to dispatch visiting Drake, 4-2, in Saturday's second game of an MVC twin bill at Killian Stadium.
 
The victory earned a doubleheader split for the Bears who were no-hit by senior All-American Nicole Newman, 9-0, in a five-inning game one.
 
"Just a great turnaround from getting blown off the field in game one to turning around and beating a really, really good softball team in game two," said MSU head coach Holly Hesse of her team's bounce-back effort. "Our freshman really came up big for us and had some clutch hits. I'm really proud of the effort they gave for the seniors to give them something to remember on their senior day."
 
MSU seniors Kyana Mason and Morgan Greenlee were recognized in pregame ceremonies.
 
Drake's loss in the second game was just its third Missouri Valley Conference defeat over the last two seasons as they moved to 44-3 in that span.
 
The clubs will meet up again Sunday for the rubber game of the three-game set at 11 a.m., also at Killian Stadium.
 
 
Game 1
Drake 9, Missouri State 0 (5 innings)
 
Drake standout Nicole Newman struck out 11 of the 15 batters she faced and also drove in a run to lead the Bulldogs past the Bears in game one, 9-0, in five innings.
 
Newman's no-hitter was the first against Missouri State since Oklahoma's Paige Parker on March 7, 2015. Newman fanned the first seven MSU hitters of the game, and her perfect game bid was halted when Payton Minnis was hit by a pitch with one out in the fourth.
 
Drake scored three runs in the first, five in the fourth and added a single tally in the fifth to record its 21^st straight victory. The Bulldogs tallied nine hits in the opener.
 
Libby Ryan's three-run homer in the fourth chased MSU starter Madison Hunsaker who struck out four in 3.1 innings. It was Ryan's second home run of the season and made it a 6-0 game at the time.
 
Kennedy Frank finished 2-for-3 with a double and a pair of RBI for Drake, while Taryn Pena also drove home a pair of runs for the visitors.
 
 
Game 2
Missouri State 4, Drake 2
 
Alex Boze's two-out, RBI single in the bottom of the sixth brought home the game-winning runs to lift Missouri State to a 4-2 win over Drake in game two.
 
Boze's second hit of the game came after Madison Hunsaker tied the game earlier in the inning with her first home run of the season. A one-out, pinch-hit single by freshman Hope Hamilton extended the inning before a walk to Rachel Weber two batters later gave the Bears two on with two outs.
 
A Drake passed ball moved pinch runner Ashton Thomas and Weber into scoring position to set up Boze's dramatic game winner when she smashed a 1-0 pitch into centerfield.
 
Dickerson (18-9) pitched a complete-game masterpiece, allowing just two hits and striking out eight Bulldogs on the afternoon. Dickerson also eclipsed 200 career strikeouts in the first inning.
 
Minnis drove home the game's first run on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to center to score Weber in the second.
 
Drake bounced back in the third to plate a pair of runs on Mandi Roemmich's single to right to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.
 
However, Dickerson's only blemish the rest of the game was a leadoff double by Frank in the sixth that was squandered after a popup to Daphne Plummer and two strikeouts from the MSU sophomore right hander.
 
After the Bears rallied for three in the sixth, Dickerson pitched a 1-2-3 seventh, fanning Ryan to end the game and snap a four-game Valley losing streak for Missouri State.
 
MSU freshmen Thomas and Weber scored three of MSU's four runs, while the MSU rookies accounted for four of the team's six hits – two by Boze, one by Weber and one by Hamilton.
 
Mason had a leadoff single in the first inning to highlight her senior day performance that also included three assists in the second game.