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Box Score 2 NORMAL, Ill. ? Illinois State showed its power, clubbing five home runs and limited Bradley to just three runs on the day as the 19th-ranked Redbirds ended Bradley's season-long five-game win streak, beating the Braves 3-2 and 8-1 to sweep a Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader Monday afternoon at the Redbird Softball Complex.
Sophomore Jessie Buker gave Illinois State a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, ripping a solo homer to left field for her 10th home run of the season in the day's first game.
The Braves (19-12 overall, 4-6 MVC) pieced together a two-out rally in top of the third inning to tie the game at 1-1. Sophomore Miriam Wegmann got things started with a two-out single through the right side of the infield for Bradley's first hit of the afternoon and junior Trish Kowalewski followed with a single up the middle. Senior Elizabeth Wilson tied the game with a single to right center that drove in Wegmann from second base for the Braves first run of the game.
Tiffany Prager led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a single and moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt. Sophomore pitcher Ashley Birdsong struck out Illinois State clean-up hitter Kelsey Warning for the second out of the inning, but surrendered a two-run homer to center field to Amber Smith to give the Redbirds a 3-1 lead.
Bradley threatened to tie the game again in the top of the sixth inning. Junior Jessie Musgrove belted a two-out double to right center and pinch runner Anne Creighton came around to score on an Amanda Clack single down the right field line to pull the Braves to within one run at 3-2. Sophomore Alycia Bachkora knocked a double to right field but Clack was thrown out at the plate to end the inning as she attempted to score on the play. Clack's single extended her team-best hitting streak to seven games.
The Braves tried another two-out rally in the top of the seventh inning, but were unable to push a run across as Illinois State held on for the 3-2 victory in the opener. Junior Stephanie Ramsey had a two-out single that snuck through the right side of the infield and Wegmann had a single that chased Illinois State starter Shannon Nicholson from the game. Stacy Birk got Trish Kowalewski to pop out down the left field line on her first pitch to end the Braves threat and pick up her fourth save of the season.
Birdsong suffered the loss for the first time in her last six decisions, falling to 15-6 on the year. She struck out eight and gave up four hits and three earned runs while walking none. Nicholson earned the victory for Illinois State, improving to 13-4 as she struck out seven and walked one, while giving up eight hits and two earned runs.
The Redbirds (32-9 overall, 10-3 MVC) got off to an early start in the nightcap as leadoff hitter Kara Nelson hit a home run down the right field line to give Illinois State at 1-0 lead.
Illinois State added another run in the bottom of the third inning to take a 2-0 lead. Jackie Williams drew a walk to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Williams came around to score on a single to right field off the bat of Tiffany Prager.
Birk dominated the Braves hitters in the early going of the second game, not allowing a hit until the top of the fifth inning. Bradley made the most of its first hit, however, scratching across a run to cut the ISU lead to 2-1. Freshman Lauren Meister drew a one-out walk and pinch runner Anne Creighton advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Creighton came around to score on a single down the right field line by Stephanie Ramsey.
Illinois State got the run back in the bottom half of the inning. Jackie Williams led off the inning with an infield single and Kara Nelson followed with a bunt single. The runners advanced to second and third on a sacrifice bunt and Williams scored when Jessie Buker lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to give the Redbirds a 3-1 lead.
ISU added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning on a solo home run by Stacy Birk to take a 4-1 lead. A Bradley error, walk and single by Nelson pushed across another run pushed the Redbird lead to 5-1. Tiffany Prager added three more runs for ISU, with her first career homer to left center that plated three unearned runs. Four of the five Redbird runs in the inning were unearned and gave Illinois State an 8-1 lead heading into the seventh.
Birk retired the Braves in order in the seventh to pick up her 16th victory of the year and improve to 16-4 in the one-hitter.
Birdsong suffered the loss in the nightcap, striking out eight and walking three while giving up eight runs (four unearned) in the loss. She is now 15-7 on the year and surpassed her season strikeout total from last season and now has 183 strikeouts on the year.
Bradley returns to action Wednesday when the Braves play a doubleheader at Illinois beginning at 4 p.m.
