CEDAR FALLS, Iowa—Drake pitcher Nicole Timmons used a dominant rise ball to strike out 14 and allowed just one hit in blanking South Dakota 4-0 Friday to wrap up day one of the Doc Halverson UNI-Dome Classic.
 
Timmons faced three more than the maximum. She walked two and allowed just an infield single to USD leadoff batter Camille Fowler in the sixth inning. It was the season opener for the Bulldogs, an NCAA Tournament team a season ago.
 
South Dakota pitchers Holly Fletcher, Gill Woodward and Sarah Lisko combined to allow just five hits for the Coyotes. But five walks and three errors defensively helped Drake build its lead. Fletcher, making her first collegiate start, struck out four in four innings of work.
 
Drake shortstop Mandi Roemmich singled and Macy Johnson doubled to make it 1-0 just two batters into the game. Johnson scored to make it 2-0 later in the inning on a sacrifice fly from Sarah Maddox.
 
Roemmich's RBI single scored Abby Buie in the second to make it 3-0. Four of Drake's five hits came in the first two innings and Roemmich and Johnson combined for four hits during the game. The Bulldogs tacked on an unearned run in the fifth.
 
Drake is the Missouri Valley Conference preseason favorite. South Dakota topped preseason No. 2 from the Valley, Northern Iowa, 5-3 earlier in the day.
 
South Dakota plays the first two games Saturday. The Coyotes face Murray State (2-0) at 8 a.m. and DePaul (0-1) at 10:15 a.m.