PEORIA, Ill. -- Senior Ashley Birdsong (Otis, Ore./Taft) tossed a two-hit shutout and junior Jacqueline Vitale (Indian Head Park, Ill./Lyons Township) provided all the offense Bradley would need with a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning to help the Braves to a 2-0 victory against Missouri State Sunday afternoon at Laura Bradley Park. Bradley (21-26 overall, 12-12 MVC) completed its first three-game sweep of a conference foe since the 2007 season and extended its season-long win streak to five games.

The Braves won for the fifth time in as many days to climb into sixth place in the final regular-season Missouri Valley Conference standings and will face #7 seed Missouri State Thursday at 1:30 p.m. in the first round of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, which will be played May 7-9 at the EastSide Centre in East Peoria, Ill.

Birdsong picked up her fifth victory of the week with one of her best outings of the year despite not striking out a single batter in her final game at Laura Bradley Park. She was very efficient in the circle, throwing 61 strikes out of 82 pitches and allowed only two hits and one walk in her career-best ninth shutout of the season. Birdsong ended the regular season on a high note, going 5-0 with a 0.80 ERA in 35 innings or work in the final week.

Missouri State's (19-24 overall, 8-12 MVC) Lauren McGinley struggled a bit with her control, allowing six base on balls in the game. Despite the walks, she gave up just two hits in the first five innings and took a shutout into the sixth inning.

Senior Miriam Wegmann (St. Louis, Mo./Oakville) drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the sixth inning and Vitale followed with a deep fly ball that sailed over the fence in left center field to give the Braves a 2-0 lead. The homer was Vitale's fifth of the season and the 12th of her career.

Birdsong threw a scoreless seventh inning to close out the victory as she improved to 15-10 on the year. The Braves managed just three hits on day, but left a total of six runners on base.

Bradley concluded the regular season sixth in the standings with a 12-12 league record. The sixth place finish and .500 conference record are the best for the Braves since finishing fifth in 1995 with a 10-10 mark.

The game was the final home game for Bradley seniors Alycia Bachkora, Ashley Birdsong, Anne Creighton, Katy Dammer and Miriam Wegmann.

The Braves return to action Thursday in the opening round of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Tournament action begins at 11 a.m. with #5 seed Illinois State facing #8 seed Indiana State at the EastSide Centre in East Peoria. Sixth-seed Bradley will play #7 seed Missouri State at 1:30 p.m. Thursday. The winner of the Illinois State-Indiana State game will face #4 Drake at 4 p.m. with the winner of the Bradley-Missouri State game playing #3 Northern Iowa at 6:30 p.m.