NORMAL, Ill. -- Bradley continued to struggle offensively Sunday as Illinois State out hit the Braves 19-7 during a Missouri Valley Conference softball doubleheader at the Redbird Softball Complex. The Braves fell to 6-10 overall, 0-3 in the Valley after suffering a 2-0 loss and 8-0 loss during Sunday's action against the Redbirds.

Illinois State scored in the top of the first inning of the opening game to take a 1-0 lead. Tricia Gaither led off the game with a double to center and moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt. Dominique Borba followed with a single to center field that scored Gaither with the first run of the ball game.

Junior pitcher Brittany Dehler pitched out of several jams as the Redbirds left the bases loaded in both the second and third innings. Illinois State added a second run in the top of the sixth inning. RaeAnn Ewen had a leadoff single and took second on a sacrifice bunt. Kate Stake had a two-out single through the left side of the infield that scored Ewen from second to push the ISU lead to 2-0.

The Braves had their best scoring chance in the bottom of the seventh inning. Freshman Trisha Kowalewski had a one-out single and Shayna Bradford drew a walk to bring the winning run to the plate. Illinois State pitcher Shannon Nicholson notched one of her seven strikeouts and junior Holly Rogers hit into a fielder's choice for the final out of the game as the Redbirds posted the 2-0 win.

Dehler fell to 3-3 on the season with the loss. She struck out four and walked five, while surrendering eight hits and two earned runs. Dehler worked out of several jams during the opener as Illinois State left 12 runner on base in the contest.

Bradley managed just three singles off Nicholson. She fanned seven Bradley hitters and walked just two in the complete game shutout as she improved to 10-5 on the season.

In the nightcap, Illinois State used a six-run fifth inning to put away the Braves 8-0. The Redbirds took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning. Mandy Garner had one of her three hits in the game to lead off the inning. A sacrifice bunt and groundout moved Garner to third base, before Borba knocked in the go-ahead run with a single through the left side of the infield. Jen Wright smacked one of her two doubles in the game to score Borba from first base to give the Redbirds a 2-0 lead.

The Redbirds pushed six more runs across in the bottom of the fifth inning to end the game. Illinois State had five hits and drew two walks in the inning, while Bradley compounded things by committing a pair of errors and two passed balls, helping lead to six runs in the frame. Five of Illinois State's six runs in the inning were unearned.

Freshman Rebecca Bishop took the loss as she fell to 2-5 on the year. Bishop struck out two and walked two while giving up six runs, three earned, and nine hits.

Junior Joanna Pettit had her five-game hit streak snapped in the opening game. Senior Brittany Mynsberge broke Tabitha Judson's school record for career putouts and now has 1,008 putouts as a Brave.

Bradley plays its home opener Friday when the Braves play host to Wichita State in a noon doubleheader at Laura Bradley Park.