PEORIA, Ill. -- Illinois State scored eight of its 12 runs in the sixth inning or later as the Redbirds swept a doubleheader from Bradley, defeating the Braves 9-3 and 3-2 in eight innings in Missouri Valley Conference softball action Saturday at Laura Bradley Park.

The Redbirds broke open a 3-3 tie in the first game, scoring four runs in the sixth inning and two in the seventh to post a 9-3 win in the opener. Bradley led 2-1 heading into the top of the seventh of the night cap before Illinois State pushed one run across in the top of the seventh and another in the eighth to sweep the twinbill.

Illinois State (16-7 overall, 5-0 MVC) held a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the second inning of the series opener before Bradley got on the scoreboard. The Braves left the bases loaded in the first inning, but scratched the scoring column in the top of the second when sophomore Jessie Musgrove led off the inning with a home run to right field.

The Braves (10-11 overall, 1-3 MVC) added two more runs in the bottom of the third inning. Junior Elizabeth Wilson helped Bradley tie the game at 3-3 when she ripped a two-out two-run double down the right field line that scored Bethany Till and Joanna Pettit.

The Redbirds pushed four runs across in the top of the sixth inning off Rebecca Bishop who relieved starter Brittany Dehler. Tiffany Prager drove in one run with a single down the field line with a runner on third before Amber Smith provided the big blow of the inning with a two-out three-run homer to right center that broke open the tie game. Prager ripped a two-out two-run double in the top of the seventh to push the Illinois State lead to 9-3.

Bishop suffered the loss for the Braves, falling to 2-4 on the year. She struck out four and walked two in four innings of relief work. Shannon Nicholson earned the victory for Illinois, pitching three and one-third innings of scoreless relief.

Freshman Ashley Birdsong was the hard-luck loser in the day's second game. Birdsong gave up just four hits in the game and struck out eight, but the Redbirds rallied for single runs in the seventh and eighth innings to upend Bradley 3-2 in eight innings.

Birdsong didn't surrender a hit until there was one out in the top of the fourth inning, when Kelsey Warning homered to left field for the first Redbird hit of the contest to put ISU ahead 1-0. Sophomore Stephanie Ramsey saved another run when she robbed Casey Gorrell of a home run in straight away center field for the final out of the inning.

The Braves bats were also held in check by Illinois State starter Shannon Nicholson. Bradley managed just one single in the first four innings of the game, before breaking through with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Pettit doubled down the right field line and Musgrove followed with her second home run of the day to put Bradley ahead 2-1.

Gorrell got her revenge in the top of the seventh inning, however, driving in the tying run. Warning led off the inning with a single and pinch runner Katie Thoennes advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Gorrell then ripped a double that rolled to the wall in left center, plating Thoennes with the tying run to force extra innings.

Illinois State completed the come-from-behind victory in the eighth inning when Randi Patton belted a homer to right center with two outs to give the Redbirds the 3-2 eight-inning victory.

Birdsong fell to 4-4 on the year with the loss, while Nicholson picked up both victories on the day for Illinois State to improve her record to 8-5 on the season.

Bradley and Illinois State close out the three-game MVC series Sunday with a single game at noon at Laura Bradley Park.