Drake Downs Bradley, Illinois State Sweeps DH

PEORIA, Ill. – Bradley Softball was tied with defending MVC champ and preseason league favorite Drake heading to the seventh in both games of Saturday’s doubleheader at Petersen Hotels Field at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex, only to have the Bulldogs pull out 5-1 and 7-6 victories to open the three-game weekend series.

Pitching dominated the opener with Bradley senior Megan Mahaffy limiting Drake (16-13 overall, 4-1 MVC) to one hit in the first three innings and didn’t allow a ball out of the infield until the sixth.  The Bulldogs were able to scrape across a run in the top of the fourth, however.  Macy Johnson led off the inning with a bunt single and stole second.  She moved to third on a groundout and later scored on a two-out bloop single off the bat of 2018 All-American Nicole Newman as the Bulldogs grabbed a 1-0 lead.

Newman, who struck out 14 in the first game, took a perfect game into the fifth before senior Katie Habryle got Bradley’s first hit of the day.  Habryle ripped a two-out, 3-2 pitch over the fence in center to tie the game at 1-1 as she collected her fourth home run of the year.

Drake had just four hits off Mahaffy through the first six innings and the teams went to the seventh knotted at 1-1.  A walk and error to open the top of the seventh for the Bulldogs proved costly for Bradley (14-13 overall, 2-3 MVC).  After Drake loaded the bases with a bunt single, the Braves got the first out of the inning at the plate on a fielder’s choice.  The Bulldogs later plated the go-ahead run on a fielder’s choice  and went on to push four more unearned runs across in the inning to build a 6-1 advantage.

Newman limited Bradley to two hits in the series opener and sat Bradley down in order in the bottom of the seventh to close out the win for Drake as she improved to 8-6 with the victory.

In the nightcap, the Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third.  Abby Buie had a double to lead off the inning and eventually scored on a Mandi Roemmich double.

The Braves answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning to pull even at 1-1.  Freshman Lucy Mead hit her fifth home run of the year with a solo shot off the scoreboard in right center to tie it up.

Drake would go back in front with a run in the top of the fourth.  Taryn Pena followed back-to-back walks to open the inning with a RBI double to left as Drake retook the lead 2-1.  The Bulldogs appeared to add a run later in the inning on a sacrifice fly to center, but the runner at third left before the catch as Bradley kept Drake from adding to the lead.

The Braves threatened in the bottom half of the fourth after sophomore Taise Thompson had a leadoff double for her second hit of the contest.  Fellow sophomore Jillian Navarro drew a two-out walk to put two runners on, but Drake pitcher Nicole Timmons got out of the jam unscathed.

The Bulldogs added an insurance run in the top of the fifth.  Libby Ryan singled to open the inning and stole second before moving to third on a groundout.  A RBI single up the middle by Johnson pushed the Drake advantage to 3-1.

Two more Drake runs in the sixth gave the Bulldogs a 5-1 lead.  With runners at second and third with one out, Buie drove in a run with a groundout and a Ryan RBI single through the left side of the infield drove in the second run of the frame.

Bradley would score four in the bottom of the sixth to tie it up at 5-5, however.  Sophomore Stacia Seeton drew a walk to start the inning and a two-out single by Habryle kept the inning alive.  Navarro ripped a double into the left field corner to drive in both Habryle and Seeton and cut the deficit to 5-3.

Newman came on in relief of Timmons after the Navarro double to issue a walk to Bradley freshman Grace French.  Facing a full count with two outs and runners at second and third against the All-American pitcher, Wysocki smacked a two-run double to right center and tie up the score at 5-5 heading to the seventh.

Just like the first game of the day, Drake would score in the top of the seventh.  Johnson led off the inning with a double and the Bulldogs got singles from Kennedy Frank and Pena to load the bases.  Bradley got a strikeout for the first out of the inning and an out at the plate on a fielder’s choice to keep things knotted at 5-5.  A two-out single up the middle by Gabbie Jonas drove in a pair of runs, however, as the Bulldogs went in front 7-5.

Back-to-back Drake errors to open the bottom of the seventh gave Bradley a chance and the Braves would load the bases on an Allison Apke (Teutopolis graduate) single.  A bases loaded groundout by Habryle drove in Brooklyn Bane from third to pull the Braves within one at 7-6.  Newman settled down to strikeout the next batter she faced and close out the 7-6 Bulldog victory.

Illinois State Sweeps

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Illinois State softball team (11-20, 5-0 MVC) combined for 22 runs in its doubleheader sweep of Indiana State (11-15, 1-4 MVC) on Saturday, limiting the Sycamores to three runs – with just one earned run – to extend its win streak to five games and keep its untouched conference record.

The last time the Redbirds opened Missouri Valley Conference play with a perfect 5-0 record dates back to 2017, while ISU’s 57 runs scored through its first five league games is a program high.

Teutopolis graduate Anni Borries pinch-hit for Illinois State.

BIRD BITS AT INDIANA STATE (W, 8-1) – GAME 1

Top Performers:

Allison Spence: 3-for-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2B

Shannon Felde: 2-for-3, 2 R, RBI

Brittni LaFountaine: 2-for-3, R

Pitching Breakdown:

Morgan Day: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 9 K (matches career high)

BY THE NUMBERS / KEY INNINGS AT INDIANA STATE (W, 8-1) – GAME 1

A single dropped in the right-center gap by Allison Spence in the top of the first inning pushed Shannon Felde across home plate for an early 1-0 lead.

Alyssa Wiebel launched her fifth homer of the season, and third in four games, over the left field wall in the third to help ISU hold a 4-0 advantage going into the bottom of the frame.

The Redbirds’ seventh hit of the game, and first from Felde, brought the fifth baserunner home for ISU in the fourth, bringing a new pitcher to the circle for the Sycamores.

Spence’s third hit of the game – a double in the fourth – brought a pair of Redbird runners home, before a double by Ellie Weltha in the next at-bat pushed ISU out to an 8-0 advantage.

 Indiana State lifted a lead-off home run over the right field wall in the bottom of the fifth inning to cut into the Redbirds’ lead and avoid the run-rule.

Starting pitcher Morgan Day fanned back-to-back Sycamores to slam the door on the sixth, and matched a career-high nine strikeouts in the seven, grabbing her third Valley win of the season.

BIRD BITS AT INDIANA STATE (W, 14-2 in 5 inn.) – GAME 2

Top Performers:

Shannon Felde: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB

Riley Hale: 3-for-4, 2 R, 3 RBI

Allison Spence: 3-for-4, 1 R, 4 RBI, 2B, HR

Pitching Breakdown:

Ali Domkuski: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

BY THE NUMBERS / KEY INNINGS AT INDIANA STATE (W, 14-2 in 5 inn.) – GAME 2

 Allison Spence’s bat stayed hot in the second game, as the senior lifted her third home run of the season over the center field wall to push ISU out to a three-run advantage in the opening frame. The Redbirds scratched four more runs across on seven total hits to hold a commanding 7-0 lead after the first half inning.

The Redbirds turned a 1-2-3 double play to help ISU escape the bases-loaded jam in the second and keep Indiana State off the board.

 Indiana State scratched a pair of unearned runs across in the bottom of the third to cut into the Redbirds’ lead.

ISU capitalized on back-to-back hits from Spence and Ellie Weltha to open the top of the fifth, as a two-RBI single by Alyssa Wiebel extended the Redbirds’ lead back out to seven. The Redbirds tacked on four more runs in the frame to hold a commanding 14-2 advantage going into the home half of the inning.

Illinois State turned its second double play of the game – this time a 6-4-3 double play – to grab the 14-2 run-rule victory.