Box Score OSCEOLA, Fla. -- Junior Brittany Dehler picked up her third win of the season and sophomore Christine Cooney drove in a pair of runs to help lead the Bradley softball team to a 4-3 victory against Army at the Rebel Spring Games. Bradley's first game Monday against Butler was rained out and won't be made up.
Dehler earned her third victory in four decisions this season, giving up six hits and three run including one earned run as she improved to 3-1 on the year. Dehler struck out one and walked four in the complete game victory.
Bradley (4-5 overall) got on the board first in the top of the second inning. Sophomore Elizabeth Wilson reached on an Army error and advanced to third on a Shayna Bradford single. Wilson scored the game's first run on a Christine Cooney ground ball to the right side of the infield to give the Braves a 1-0 lead.
In the third inning, Bradley struck again with an unearned run. Junior Bethany Till was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame and moved to second on a groundout. Another groundout advanced Till to third base and an error on Kelly Trout allowed Till to score to make it a 2-0 Bradley lead.
The Black Knights tied the score in bottom of the third inning, pushing two runs across. Lindsey Gerheim reached on an error and moved to second on a passed ball. After Darcy Wilson drew a one-out walk another passed ball put runners at second and third. Dehler fanned Army's designated player Jamie Gjurgevich for the second out of the inning, but Kelly Trout belted a double that plated both runners to tie the game.
Bradley got both runs back in the top of the fourth inning. Trisha Kowalewski singled to lead off the inning and moved to second on an error. Wilson drew a walk and both runners advanced on a passed ball. Cooney knocked in her second run of the game with a ground ball to the right side of the infield to score Kowalewski with the go-ahead run. Freshman Molly Bergeson drove in what proved to be the game-winning run with a two-out double that scored Wilson to push Bradley's lead to 4-2.
Army scored one run in the sixth inning on a Lauren Gobar single that scored pinch runner Jessica McMullin. With runners at second and third with two outs, Dehler pitched out of a jam as she got March to ground out to end the inning.
Dehler pitched out of trouble again in the seventh inning. A Bradley error, fielder's choice and Army single put runners at first and third with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning for the Black Knights. Dehler got pinch hitter Veronica Lauzon to ground out to shortstop to end the game, however, as Bradley ended Army's five-game win streak.
Bradley returns to action Tuesday when the Braves play a doubleheader at Central Florida at noon (CST).