Box Score MURFREESBORO, Tenn. ? Middle Tennessee State collected 10 hits and Bradley committed two errors as the Braves fell to the Blue Raiders 4-1 in non-conference softball action Wednesday at Blue Raider Field.
Sophomore Ashley Birdsong struck out five and surrendered 10 hits and four runs (three earned) as she fell to 9-4 on the season with the loss. Birdsong did record her 100th strikeout of the season, however, joining Beth Hawkins and Brittany Dehler as the only players in program history to have two seasons with 100 or more strikeouts.
Bradley (12-7 overall) dropped its third game in its last four outings and managed just five hits in the contest.
Middle Tennessee State (15-16 overall) took an early 1-0 lead on a two-out solo home run by Martha Davis in the bottom of the first inning. The Blue Raiders added another run in the bottom of the second. Whitney Darlington had a one-out single and stole second. She advanced to third on a passed ball and eventually scored on a dropped third strike to give MTSU a 2-0 lead.
The Braves got one run back in the top of the third inning. Sophomore Alycia Bachkora led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Freshman Amanda Clack knocked in Bachkora for Bradley's only run of the afternoon with an infield single.
The Blue Raiders added single runs in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings to take a 4-1 lead. Darlington, who was 3-for-3 in the game, led off the fourth with a double and scored on a Bradley error. Muriel Ledbetter led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Darlington drove home Ledbetter with an infield single to push the Blue Raider lead to 4-1.
Clack went 2-for-2 with an RBI to help highlight the Braves offensive efforts. Lindsey Vander Lugt picked up the victory in the circle for the Blue Raiders. Vander Lugt struck out six and gave up five hits and one earned run in seven innings of work.
Bradley closes out its spring break trip with a 2 p.m. doubleheader Thursday at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville, Tenn.
