Apke Leads Bradley Past Illinois State

NORMAL, Ill. – Junior Allison Apke (Teutopolis H.S.) hit her 10th home run of the season to extend her hit streak to a season-best nine games and Bradley pitchers Megan Mahaffy and Taise Thompson combined for nine strikeouts as the Braves extended their road win streak to a program record eight consecutive games with an 8-4 win at I-74 rival Illinois State Wednesday.

Game two of the originally scheduled doubleheader was postponed due to cold and windy conditions and the teams will now play a doubleheader Tuesday, April 23 at Petersen Hotels Field at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex.

Mahaffy (6-4) earned the victory in the circle for the Braves (20-15 overall, 7-5 MVC), striking out five and scattering five hits in 5.0 innings of work to pick up her team-leading sixth victory of the season.  Thompson tossed 2.0 scoreless innings out of the bullpen and struck out four to earn her first save of the season.

Illinois State (12-24 overall, 6-3 MVC) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second on a two-out solo homer off the bat of Alyssa Wiebel just inside the foul pole in right.

A leadoff walk in the bottom of the third proved costly for the Braves, with Taylor Vanderpool opening the inning with a base on balls.  Vanderpool stole second and came around to score on a Shannon Flede single as the Redbirds took a 2-0 lead.

Despite a strong wind blowing in from left, Apke ripped a two-out solo homer to left field to cut the Illinois State lead in half at 2-1.  The homer was the team-best 10th of the year for Apke and pushed her career total to 25.

A three-run top of the fifth gave the Braves a 4-2 lead.  Kealia Wysocki was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and back-to-back singles by Jillian Navarro and Sydney Young loaded the bases with no outs.  Freshman Lucy Mead drew a one-out walk to drive in the tying run and a sacrifice fly to left by Vicki Zaluske gave the Braves a 3-2 lead.  A two-out walk to Apke loaded the bases again and Young was able to race home on a wild pitch as Bradley built a 4-2 advantage.

In the sixth, Navarro drew a two-out walk and Young singled back to the pitcher.  A pair of Illinois State errors on the Young single allowed both Navarro and Young to come all the way around to score on the play with the Braves taking a 6-2 lead into the bottom of the sixth.

A single, double and walk to open the bottom of the sixth loaded the bases for Illinois State.  Taise Thompson came on in the circle to strikeout the first two batters she faced, but Shannon Felde smacked a two-run double to left center to cut the Bradley advantage to 6-4.  A walk loaded the bases again for Illinois State, before Thompson struck out Andrea Coursey to end the inning.

Bradley added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Apke capped a 2-for-3 day at the plate with a leadoff single and Thompson followed with a single of her own.  The Braves loaded the bases on a Wysocki single and freshman Keeler van Breusegen delivered a two-run, pinch hit double to right center to give BU an 8-4 lead.

A Bradley error to open the bottom of the seventh put a runner on, but Thompson got a pop out, strikeout and fly out to end the game as she earned her first save of the season.

Anni and Kadi Borries, Teutopolis graduates, play for Illinois State. Anni pinch hit and scored a run while Kadi pinch ran.

Bradley continues what is now a seven-game road swing with a weekend series at Evansville, which gets underway with a noon doubleheader Saturday.