DES MOINES, Iowa. -- Drake scored six first-inning runs and defeated Bradley 9-6 to end the Braves six-game win streak in the three-game series finale Sunday in Des Moines in Missouri Valley Conference softball action. Bradley slipped into sixth place in the Valley standings and is now 23-21 overall and 8-11 in conference play.

The Bulldogs (19-26 overall, 9-10 MVC) chased Bradley starter Brittany Dehler out of the game after just four batters and scored six runs in the opening inning to take an early 6-0 lead. A leadoff walk was followed by three consecutive Drake singles before Ashley Birdsong entered the game in relief with no outs in the inning. Emily Hajduk had a two-run single to open the scoring and Jamie Desjarlais, Kristin Birocci and Cassie Heller all added run-scoring singles of their own. Mollie Daniels capped the scoring in the inning with an RBI groundout.

Freshman Jacqueline Vitale continued her hot hitting with her sixth home run of the season with one out and no one on base in the top of the second inning. Vitale's six home runs is tied for the fifth best season total in school history.

The Braves added another run in the third inning on an RBI double by sophomore Trish Kowalewski that scored sophomore Molly Bergeson pulling Bradley to within four runs at 6-2.

Senior Joanna Pettit ripped a two-out two-run double in the fifth that scored Molly and Emily Bergeson and the Braves added another run on a Drake error to cut the Bulldogs lead to 6-5.

Drake plated three runs in the bottom of the sixth, however to take a 9-5 lead. Jaci Faidley hit a run scoring single with two outs and Marilyn Buss followed with a two-run homer to cap a three-run inning for the Bulldogs.

Bradley threatened to claw back into the game in the top of the seventh inning, but couldn't mount a big enough rally. Pettit led off the inning with a single and came around to score on a Jessie Musgrove double to right field to make the score 9-6 in favor of the Bulldogs. Christine Cooney singled to put runners at first and third with no outs and the tying run at the plate. Kristin Birocci pitched out of the jam for Drake, however, retiring the next three batters to earn her second save of the season.

Dehler suffered the loss for the Braves, evening her record on the season to 7-7. She surrendered three hits, one walk and four earned runs. Birdsong struck out five and gave up eight hits and five earned runs in six innings of relief work.

Bradley plays its final road game of the regular-season Thursday at Northern Iowa at 3 p.m.