The Redbirds (15-10 overall, 2-0) won the opener 3-2 and posted a 3-1 victory in the nightcap to take both games of the doubleheader.  Bradley dropped to 7-20 overall and 0-2 in Missouri Valley Conference play.

Junior Lindsay Hufeld (Mapleton, Ill./Limestone/Illinois Central) pitched a complete game in the opener and gave up just three runs (two earned) in the loss to fall to 2-8 on the season. 

Senior Brittany Fairbairn (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East/Kankakee C.C.) led off the first game with a single and later scored on an Illinois State error after a single by freshman Madeline Lynch-Crumrine (Sedro-Woolley, Wash./Sedro-Woolley) to give the Braves an early 1-0 lead.

A pair of walks in the bottom of the second inning would later lead to a run as Illinois State tied things up at 1-1.  The Redbirds had runners and first and second with two outs when Nichelle Harrison drove in a run with a single to center field. 

Illinois State pushed another run across in the bottom of the third to take a 2-1 lead on a run-scoring single off the bat of Liz Andrews.

Bradley left a runner on third in the top of the sixth and the Redbirds scored what proved to be the game-winning run in the bottom half of the inning.  Sara Bradley had a two-out single and pinch runner Kolby Hoffman stole second.  Illinois State pushed the lead to 3-1 when Hoffman scored on a Bradley error. 

The Braves mounted a rally attempt in the top of the seventh after Chandler led off the frame with a single and moved to third after a groundout and wild pitch.  Junior Alison Kresl (Kankakee, Ill./Bishop McNamara) drove in Chandler with a groundout to cut the ISU lead to 3-2 and the Braves had the tying run on base after Fairbairn drew a two-out walk.  Illinois State pitcher Megan Warner retired the next batter she faced, however, to close out the victory to improve to 6-4 with the win.

Illinois State scored the first three runs of the nightcap to jump out to a 3-0 lead before Bradley tried to rally late.  Back-to-back singles was followed by an RBI double by Abby Olson in the bottom of the first inning to give the Redbirds an early 1-0 lead.

Andrews drove in her second run of the day with a one-out single in the bottom of the third inning and the Redbirds pushed the lead to 3-0 with a bases loaded sacrifice fly by Caiti Kopp.

Bradley had runners at second and third with one out in the top of the fourth inning and left a pair of runners in scoring position in the sixth, but came up empty in both frames against Redbird hurler Jordan Birch. 

The Braves finally broke through for a run in the top of the seventh inning to break up Birch's shutout bid.  Chandler led off the inning with her third hit of the day and freshman KayCee Miller (Omaha, Neb./Papillion-La Vista) was hit by a pitch.  Junior Julie Sherman (Hickory Hills, Ill./Stagg) drove in a run with a one-out single to right center, but Illinois State turned a double play to close out a 3-1 victory.

Sophomore Mackenzie Camp (Mapleton, Ill./Limestone) took the loss for Bradley in the second game to fall to 3-6, while Lynch-Crumrine struck out four in three and two-third innings of scoreless relief.  Birch struck out nine Bradley hitters in the complete game effort to improve to 6-1.

Bradley and Illinois State close out the three-game series Sunday with a single game at noon.