Box Score DES MOINES, Iowa - Drake's Brynne Dordel tossed a complete game shutout as Bradley concluded its first Missouri Valley Conference road series of the year with a 2-0 loss to the Bulldogs Sunday afternoon at Buel Field. The Braves fell to 11-14 overall and 2-3 in Valley play with the loss, while Drake improved to 18-7 overall and 2-1 in league action.
Bradley managed a pair of singles in the top of the first inning as both Janay Mitchell (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South) and Taylor Cox (Loveland, Colo./Andover [Kan.]) extended their hit streaks to five games. The Braves were unable to capitalize on the singles, however, failing to score in the first inning.
Drake also came up empty in the bottom half of the inning after a pair of walks and the Braves stranded another runner in the top of the second after sophomore Julie Sherman (Hickory Hills, Ill./Stagg) led off the frame with a single.
Mitchell collected her second hit of the day with a two-out single in the third, but Bradley was unable to advance her any further. Sherman reached on an error with one out in the top of the fourth inning, but Dordel retired the final 11 batters she faced to complete the shutout. Dordel struck out six and walked none in the four-hit shutout as she improved to 9-3 on the season.
Drake got the only run it would need in the bottom of the fourth inning after stranding five runners in the first three innings. Jenna DeLong had a one-out single and Molly McClelland was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second. The Bulldogs loaded the bases on a single off the bat of Macie Silliman and DeLong scored the first run of the game on a bases-loaded, infield single by Elena Leon to chase Bradley starter Brandi Ore (Versailles, Ky./Paul Laurence Dunbar) from the game. Senior Amanda Clack (Hillsboro, Mo./Hillsboro) retired the next two batters she faced to get out of the jam without any more damage.
The Bulldogs added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 2-0 lead. Torey Craddock reached on an error to open the inning and Erin Mollohan drove her in from third with a double. Drake left runners on base in each inning and stranded a total of 11 runners on the afternoon.
Ore suffered the loss for the Braves to fall to 2-5 on the year, giving up four hits and one earned run in three and one-third innings of work. Clack surrendered one hit and one unearned run in two and two-third innings in relief.
Bradley closes out a four-game road swing Wednesday with a single game at Loyola-Chicago at 4 p.m.
