PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley concludes a season-long, seven-game homestand with a three-game series against Indiana State Friday and Saturday at Laura Bradley Park, but for the second consecutive weekend the series schedule has been changed due to inclement weather forecast for the Peoria area.
The Braves and Sycamores will open the series Friday with a single game at 1 p.m. at Laura Bradley Park and wrap up the three-game Valley set with a noon doubleheader on Saturday. The teams were originally scheduled to play a doubleheader Friday at 2 p.m. and a single game Saturday at noon, but inclement weather forecast for Friday forced the schedule change.
Bradley took two of three games from Indiana State last year and the Braves have claimed five of the last six meetings in the series with the Sycamores to push their advantage in the all-time series to 48-27.
BU suffered a 2-1 extra-inning loss to Northern Iowa Wednesday after Rachel Gerking's solo homer to lead off the ninth inning powered the Panthers to the win. Senior Kate Singler (Witt, Ill./Nokomis/Heartland C.C.) slugged her team-leading fifth home run of the season in the fourth for the Braves' only run of the game and freshman Madeline Lynch-Crumrine (Sedro-Woolley) surrendered just two runs in a complete-game nine-inning effort in the circle for Bradley.
The Braves are looking for their first home win of the season and have three home games remaining on the schedule following the weekend series against the Sycamores. Bradley will host Wichita State May 7 & 8 to close the regular-season schedule.
Indiana State (14-25 overall, 3-13 MVC) was swept by Illinois State in a midweek doubleheader Wednesday and the Sycamores have dropped six consecutive Missouri Valley Conference games heading into the weekend.
Live stats for all three contests will be available at BradleyBraves.com, along with video (subscription) and audio streams (free).
Bradley kicks off the final road swing of the season Wednesday, April 27, playing a doubleheader against Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
