CEDAR CITY, Utah – Senior Kelly Kapp went 3-for-4 with a stolen base and two runs scored and sophomore Gabby Stoner added her first career home run, but Utah State held off Bradley 7-5 in the opening game for the Braves at the Beehive Classic.
 
Kapp extended her hit streak to seven consecutive games with her 3-for-4 effort as she moved into a tie for fifth with Tara Pearson in career hits at Bradley with her 188^th as a Brave.  Junior Maria Schroeder and sophomore Katie Habryle were both 2-for-3 in the setback.
 
Bradley (11-10 overall) got out to an early lead after Kapp led off the bottom of the first with a bunt single and came around to score.  Schroeder followed with a single and Kapp gave Bradley a 1-0 lead when she scored on a Habryle single.
 
Stoner led off the bottom of the third with a solo homer as the Braves took a 2-0 lead into the fourth. 
 
A Bradley error to open the fourth helped lead to a three-run inning for Utah State.  The first run of the frame came home on a Brina Buttacavoli RBI single and a two-out, two-run triple off the bat of Jazmin Clarke gave the Aggies a 3-2 advantage.
 
A single, wild pitch and double led to another Utah State run in the fifth and the Aggies led 7-2 after a three-run sixth.  Two Bradley errors and three Utah State hits in the sixth led to the three-run inning.
 
Bradley tried to rally in the bottom of the seventh after freshman Brooklyn Bane led off the inning with a walk.  Allison Apke had a single and Kapp's third single of the day loaded the bases with one out.  Schroeder drove in two runs with a single to left center and another run came in on a Caitlyn McCarron single to right to cut the Utah State lead to 7-5.  Bradley had the tying run at first after a Habryle walk, but Utah State hurler Kellie White got a flyout to close out the victory for the Aggies. 
 
The Braves return to action Saturday at 11 a.m. (CST) taking on Wagner to open the second day of the Beehive Classic.