PEORIA, Ill. - Freshman Taylor Cox (Loveland, Colo./Andover [Kan.]) went 5-for-7 at the plate, but Illinois State clubbed four home runs to sweep a doubleheader from the Braves Saturday afternoon at Laura Bradley Park. The Redbirds topped the Braves 2-0 in the opener, before belting three homers in the nightcap en route to a 7-0 victory.
Cox collected five of Bradley's nine hits on the day and senior Jacqueline Vitale (Indian Head Park, Ill./Lyons Township) went 2-for-6 on the day as she extended her hit streak to a career best eight games.
Megan Warner struck out a career-high nine batters in a complete game shutout for Illinois State (31-16 overall, 18-5 MVC) in the opener to improve to 13-8 on the season. Junior Katie Dennis (Gilbert, Ariz./Mesquite) suffered the loss for Bradley (15-33 overall, 5-20 MVC), despite giving up just two runs and matching a career-best with five strikeouts as she fell to 5-11 with the loss.
The Redbirds got the only run they would need in the top of the second inning. A single and walk was followed by an RBI single by Jessica Roche as Illinois State took a 1-0 lead.
The Braves threatened in the bottom of the fifth inning after an ISU error to open the frame. Bradley had runners at first and third after a one-out Cox single, but sophomore Julie Sherman (Hickory Hills, Ill./Stagg) was thrown at third base when senior Amanda Clack (Hillsboro, Mo./Hillsboro) hit into a fielder's choice for the second out of the inning. Vitale single to right field, but Cox was thrown out at plate trying to score from second as Warner and Illinois State took a shutout into the sixth inning.
Beth Current hit a solo homer run in the top of the sixth inning to push the ISU lead to 2-0 and Warner limited the Braves to a walk and a two-out single in the seventh to close out a 2-0 victory.
Illinois State's Jordan Birch tossed a three-hit shutout in the nightcap and the Redbirds launched three home runs en route to a 7-0 victory.
A Bradley error to open the game led to an unearned run in the top of the first inning and a Niki Stansell double to lead off the third led to another run on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Elizabeth Kay as Illinois State took a 2-0 lead.
Abby Olson ripped a solo homer to leadoff the top of the fifth inning to push the Redbird lead to 3-0 and ISU broke the game open with three runs in the top of the sixth. Illinois State had runners at first and second for Stansell, who hit a two-out, three-run homer to right center to extend the Redbird advantage to 6-0.
Kay capped the scoring with a solo home run to leadoff the top of the seventh inning as Illinois State cruised to a 7-0 victory.
Birch stuck out nine and walked just two in the three-hit shutout as she improved to 16-7 on the season. Clack took the loss in the circle for BU, despite giving up just three hits and two runs (one earned) in four innings of work. She struck out four and walked one in the loss to fall to 8-9.
Bradley closes out the 2010 season Sunday with a single game against Illinois State at noon at Laura Bradley Park. Seniors Amanda Clack (Hillsboro, Mo./Hillsboro), Lauren Meister (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South), Janay Mitchell (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South), Megan O'Malley (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove), Jacqueline Vitale (Indian Head Park, Ill./Lyons Township) and Lindsay Watkins (Hopedale, Ill./Olympia/Parkland) will be recognized in a pregame ceremony.
