Apke Has Big Day for Bradley

Bradley belted three solo home runs against Louisiana-Monroe, pulling even at 3-3 on an Allison Apke solo shot in the sixth only to have the Warhawks push across the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth to top the Braves 4-3 in the opening game of the Blues City Classic Friday.

Junior Gabby Stoner got things started with a solo homer to lead off the game, giving Bradley (4-7 overall) a 1-0 lead on her second home run to lead off a contest this season.  The Braves threatened to add to the lead with seniors Elizabeth Leonard and Maria Schroeder both following up the Stoner homer with singles.  Louisiana-Monroe (9-4 overall) got the first out of the inning at the plate as Leonard tried to score on an Apke single and the Warhawks managed to get out of the frame without any more damage. 

Sophomore Emma Jackson extended her streak of scoreless innings against unranked teams this season to 18, keeping ULM off the board in the first and second.  Jackson retired Louisiana-Monroe in order in the first and worked around a leadoff single in the second. 

A pair of Bradley errors and two ULM hits led to three unearned runs in the bottom of the third, however, as the Warhawks grabbed a 3-1 lead.  With two outs and runners second and third, a Bradley error which would have ended the inning allowed both runners to score.  Rochelle Roberts drove in the third run of the inning with a double. 

Junior Katie Habryle made it a one-run game with a solo homer to open the Bradley half of the fourth as the Braves cut the ULM lead to 3-2.  The home run was Habryle’s first of the season. 

Another leadoff homer in the top of the sixth inning tied the game at 3-3, with Apke collecting her third of the contest.  Apke, a Teutopolis High School graduate who homered for the second time in three games, hit a solo shot to lead off the inning. 

ULM threatened in the bottom half of the frame, collecting four hits in the inning.  The Warhawks had runners at first and second with two outs and looked to score the go-ahead run on an Ana Hogan single to left.  Megan Mahaffy threw out lead runner Brie Wrobel trying to score from second on the play to end the inning and keep the score tied at 3-3. 

Bradley had a chance in the top of the seventh after freshman Vicki Zaluske was hit by a pitch to open the inning and Mahaffy followed with a single.  A fly out, line out and an out on a fielder’s choice ended the threat, however.

Jackson and the Braves had to get out of a jam in the bottom half of the seventh.  Back-to-back singles to start the inning gave ULM runners at first and second with no outs, before Jackson got a pop out and flyout.  Mahaffy took over in the circle for Jackson and induced a groundout to end the inning as Bradley went to extra inning for the first time this season.

The Braves were unable to score in the top of the eighth and ULM answered with a run in its half of the inning for a 4-3 victory.  Roberts was at second to open the inning and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. She eventually scored the game-winning run on a fielder’s choice. 

Apke went 3-for-4 with a run and RBI as she reached base safely for the eighth consecutive game to help highlight Bradley’s 10-hit game.  Habryle also had a multi-hit effort with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate.