DES MOINES, Iowa – Bradley jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but Drake took advantage of 10 walks and the Bulldogs slugged five extra-base hits to top the Braves 11-3 in six innings Sunday afternoon to conclude the regular-season for both squads. 

After a 6-for-7 performance in Saturday's doubleheader, junior Kelly Kapp (Freeburg, Ill./Gibault Catholic) led off the game with a walk and stole second for her third stolen base of the series.  A Drake error on the stolen base allowed Kapp to move to third and she scored when Maria Schroeder (Lake Zurich, Ill./Lake Zurich) reached on the second error of the frame to give Bradley an early 1-0 lead. 

Drake (29-23 overall, 17-8 MVC) drew three walks from Bradley (18-29 overall, 12-14 MVC) starter Jaelen Hull (Clifton, Ill./Bishop McNamara) in the bottom of the first, but the Braves got a pop out to end the threat. 

Sophomore Erika Hansen (Fillmore, Calif./Moorpark) opened the Bradley half of the third with a single and senior Alyson Clemente (Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta Valley) followed with her ninth home run of the season, hitting a two-run shot to push the Braves' lead to 3-0. 

Hull kept Drake hitless through the first two and two-third innings.  With two outs in the bottom of the third and a runner at first after a walk, Taryn Pena ripped a two-out double to left which plated Megan Sowa as the Bulldogs cut the Bradley advantage to 3-1.   Drake pitcher Nicole Newman helped her own cause later in the inning and tied the game at 3-3 with a two-out, two-run double to right. 

The Bulldogs added three more runs in the bottom of the fourth to go in front 6-3.  Drake had runners at first and second with two outs after a walk and catcher's interference for Sowa, who ripped a three-run homer to center. 

After Drake loaded the bases on a single and two walks in the bottom of the fifth, Kelsey Wright drove in two more runs with a two-out single to center as Drake pushed its lead to 8-3. 

Newman drove in three more runs in the bottom of the sixth with a three-run homer to left to close out the 11-3 victory in six innings.  Drake's 10th walk of the afternoon opened the bottom of the sixth and Smith had a one-out double to put runners at second and third.  Newman, who collected three of Drake's seven hits and drove in five runs, hit her third home run of the season to give the Bulldogs an 11-3 victory.  In addition to efforts at the plate, Newman matched a season-high with 12 strikeouts as she earned her 21st victory of the year. 

The Braves managed just four hits off Newman with three of the four hits coming in the three-run third. 

Bradley will be the #5 seed for the Missouri Valley Conference Championship and will face #8 seed Missouri State Thursday at 11 a.m. in the opening game of the tournament in Carbondale, Ill.  The winner will advance to face #4 seed and