CARBONDALE, Ill. – The Drake University softball team defeated Illinois State, 5-1, in a Missouri Valley Conference Tournament semifinal Friday to advance to Saturday's championship game at Charlotte West Stadium.
Drake (30-23), the tournament number two seed, will play top-seeded Wichita State in the program's first title game appearance since 2011.
Sophomore Nicole Newman (Madison, Wis.) pitched a complete game against Illinois State (20-33). Newman, the 2016 MVC Pitcher of the Year, allowed one run on three hits with 12 strikeouts and just one walk as she improved to 22-12 with the win.