WICHITA, Kan. ? Wichita State scored five times in the sixth inning for a come-from-behind 5-1 victory in game one over Bradley, but the Braves bounced back to split the Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader with a 7-5 win in game two.

In the first game, Bradley (7-4 overall, 1-1 MVC) got an unearned run to break a scoreless tie in the top of the sixth inning. Sophomore Janay Mitchell (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South H.S.) smacked a one-out single to left field, then scored after sophomore Jacqueline Vitale (Indian Head Park, Ill./Lyons Township H.S.) reached on an error by Shocker shortstop Britnee Barnett to give the Braves a 1-0 lead.

With the 1-0 lead, BU junior starting pitcher Ashley Birdsong (Otis, Ore./Taft H.S.) took a no-hitter into the bottom of the sixth inning before the Wichita State (19-11 overall, 1-1 MVC) offense broke out for five runs on six hits in the frame. Birdsong retired the leadoff batter before Kiersten Dixon broke up the no-hit bid with a bunt single. The Shockers followed with three consecutive hits to take a 3-1 lead, highlighted by a two-run double from Barnett. Heather Gerritse and Jamie Hull added run-scoring hits with two outs to stretch the lead to 5-1.

Mitchell and junior Miriam Wegmann (St. Louis, Mo./Oakville H.S.) led the BU offense with two hits each. Birdsong took the loss the Braves to fall to 5-2 on the year.

In game two, the Braves jumped on the Shockers early for six runs on four hits in the first inning. Sophomore Amanda Clack (Hillsboro, Mo./Hillsboro H.S.) started the damage, driving home Mitchell for a 1-0 lead. After the lead was stretched to 3-0, Wegmann and junior Alycia Bachkora (Overland Park, Kan./Notre Dame de Sion H.S.) reached base to set the table for freshman catcher Denise Jilka (Eureka, Mo./Eureka H.S.), who hit her first career home run, a three-run shot down the left field line to give the Braves a 6-0 lead.

Freshman Lauren Kelly (Lawrence, Kan./Lawrence H.S.) recorded her first RBI as a Brave in the fourth inning on an RBI double to left to score Bachkora for a 7-0 lead. In the bottom half of the inning, the Shockers came storming back for three runs off BU starting pitcher Rebecca Bishop (Carmichael, Calif./Del Campo H.S.). Bishop left the game after 3.1 innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits. Freshman Katie Dennis (Gilbert, Ariz./Mesquite H.S.) entered the circle and got a groundout and a popout to get out of the inning with a 7-3 lead.

The Shockers added two more runs in the fifth off Dennis to close the gap to 7-5 before Birdsong entered the game and coaxed a popout to end the Wichita State threat. The junior hurler didn't allow a hit over the final 2.1 innings to pick up her second save of the season.

Bachkora and Clack each had two hits to lead the offense in the second game. All seven of the BU runs were earned off Wichita State starter Brianna Smet, who took the loss to fall to 7-2 on the season.

The Braves and Shockers will conclude the three-game set with a single game Sunday at noon in Wichita.