URBANA, Ill. - Freshman Madeline Lynch-Crumrine (Sedro-Woolley, Wash./Sedro-Woolley) hit her first career home run, but six Bradley errors led to eight unearned runs as Illinois topped the Braves 11-4 Wednesday afternoon in the first of a five-game road swing for BU

Lynch-Crumrine highlighted Bradley's offensive attack with a two-run homer in the top of the fifth inning to extend her hit streak to seven games.  Freshman Mariah Cole (Springfield, Ill./Chatham Glenwood) drew a walk to lead off the inning and Lynch-Crumrine provided the big hit of the day for the Braves with a two-out, two-run homer to left for Bradley's first runs of the game.

The Braves outhit the Illini 9-7, but Bradley couldn't muster enough offense to overcome six errors and eight Illinois walks in the contest.

Bradley (7-24 overall) got off to a rough start, leaving runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings and Illinois (15-12 overall) took an early lead after scoring three runs in the bottom of the third. Danielle Vaji was at second base after drawing a one-out walk and stealing second.  She came around to score on a single by Meredith Hackett and Jessica Davis followed with a two-run homer to put the Illini in front 3-0. 

Alex Booker reached base in the bottom of the fourth on the second of six Bradley errors and pushed the Illinois lead to 4-0 when she scored on Danielle Zymkowitz's triple to left field.

Lynch-Crumrine belted her two-run homer in the top of the fifth to cut the Illini lead in half at 4-2, but Illinois answered with five run on just one hit in the bottom half of the inning.

Davis drew a walk to lead off the inning and Kelley Wedel was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second.  A pair of BU errors on the following play allowed Davis to score and Illinois loaded the bases when Jackie Guy walked.  The Illini scored two runs on a pair of two-out, bases-loaded walks and Hackett drove in her second and third runs of the game with a double to left to push the advantage to 9-2.

Junior Alison Kresl (Kankakee, Ill./Bishop McNamara) walked to lead off the top of the sixth for Bradley and BU had runners at first and third after senior Brittany Fairbairn (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East/Kankakee C.C.) reached on an error.  Junior Julie Sherman (Hickory Hills, Ill./Stagg) ripped a single up the middle for the second of two hits on the day and drove in both base runners to trim the Illinois lead to 9-4. 

Illinois answered with two more unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth after two Bradley errors in the inning.  The Illini loaded the bases with a walk and pair of two-out singles before Audrey Gallien scored when Vaji reached on a fielding error.  A throwing error on the same play allowed Booker to score from second and gave the Illini an 11-4 advantage.

Bradley tried to rally in the seventh after junior Jackie Roth (Hickory Hills, Ill./Stagg) hit a double and senior Denise Jilka (Eureka, Mo./Eureka) singled, but Illinois hurler Jackie Guy struck out the next two batters to close out the victory.  Pepper Gay earned the victory for Illinois, striking out seven in four scoreless innings to improve to 9-7 on the season. 

Junior Lindsay Hufeld (Mapleton, Ill./Limestone/Illinois Central) took the loss for Bradley to drop to 2-10 on the year.  She struck out four in 3.2 innings of work. 

Bradley continues a five-game road swing Saturday, opening a three-game series at Creighton with a noon doubleheader in Omaha, Neb.