PEORIA, Ill. – Nicole Newman (Madison, Wis.) threw her fifth career perfect game to help send the Drake University softball team to its second-straight Missouri Valley Conference Tournament title game with a 7-0 win over Bradley Friday afternoon at Peterson Field at the Louisville Slugger Complex in Peoria, Ill.
Drake (41-14) will play Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. on ESPN+ against the winner of SIU or UNI, which played after the Bulldogs and Braves. The winner of Saturday's championship contest earns the Valley's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
Newman, who improved to 27-6, equaled her career-high in strikeouts with 18, and threw 69 strikes out of 88 total pitches.