Box Score TEMPE, Ariz. - Bradley wrapped up the first day of play at the Kajikawa Classic with an 11-2 loss to in-state foe Northwestern Friday night at the Tempe Sports Complex. Senior Brittany Fairbairn (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East/Kankakee C.C.) drove in both runs for the Braves, going 1-for-3 at the plate.
Northwestern (1-1 overall) got an early start, roughing up the Braves for seven runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Wildcats had runners at second and third after an error, wild pitch, walk and stolen base to open the frame. Adrienne Monka started the scoring with a two-run single up the middle and Mari Majam later ripped a two-run triple to left center to give Northwestern a 4-0 lead. Robin Thompson pushed two more runs across with a two-run single and Monka drove in her third run of the frame when she was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to drive in another run.
Bradley (0-2 overall) did not reach base until freshman Brianne Joseph (Post Falls, Idaho/Post Falls) drew a walk to lead off the top of the fourth inning. Joseph moved to second on a wild pitch and later scored on an RBI groundout by Faibairn for the BU's first run of the game.
Junior Jackie Roth loaded the bases when she reached on an error, following back-to-back singles by freshman Madeline Lunch-Crumrine (Sedro-Woolley, Wash./Sedro-Woolley) and senior Kate Singler (Witt, Ill./Nokomis/Heartland C.C.), but Bradley left the bases loaded and went into the bottom of the fourth trailing 7-1.
Two hit batters and a walk to open the bottom of the fourth inning loaded the bases for Northwestern and Majam drove in two more runs with a single to right field. Pinch runner Paige Tonz scored on a wild pitch and Kelly Quinn made the score 11-1 with an RBI single to center to drive in Majam from third base.
Sophomore Heather Terry (Jones, Okla./Jones) opened the top of the fifth with a single and moved to third when junior Julie Sherman (Hickory Hills, Ill./Stagg) reached on a two-out error. Fairbairn drove in her second run of the game with a two-out single to center field to plate Terry from third, but Northwestern hurler Meghan Lamberth retired the next batter she faced to close out the victory. Lamberth struck out five and walked one in her first victory of the year.
Lynch-Crumrine suffered the loss in the circle for Bradley in her first career appearance
The Braves return to action Saturday, opening the second day of play at the Kajikawa Classic with a 10:30 a.m. (CST) contest against Cal Poly.
