EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. -- Bradley scored a pair of runs in the top of the seventh and had the tying run at second base, but couldn't push the tying run across as the Braves fell 4-3 to SIU Edwardsville Thursday afternoon.

Senior Julie Sherman (Hickory Hills, Ill./Stagg) opened the game with the first of her two hits on the day with a single and later scored on a single by sophomore Bailiegh Basham (Mattoon, Ill./Mattoon/Land Lake C.C.) to give Bradley an early 1-0 lead.

SIU Edwardsville (8-15 overall) tied it up in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Alex McDavid and two more runs in bottom of the fifth pushed the Cougars advantage to 3-1.  Rachel Coonrod belted a two-run homer in the fifth and a solo home run by Taylor Tooley in the sixth put SIUE in front 4-1.

Bradley (10-12 overall) mounted a late rally attempt, scoring a pair of runs in the top of the seventh and had the tying run at second base before SIU Edwardsville hurler Amanda Lambrecht closed out the contest.

Sophomore Mariah Cole (Springfield, Ill./Chatham Glenwood) had a one-out single and senior Jackie Roth (Hickory Hills, Ill. Stagg) drove her in with a single to center.  Roth scored on a two-out Basham double, but Lambrecht retired the next hitter she faced to close out a 4-3 victory for SIU Edwardsville.

Senior Lindsay Hufled (Mapleton, Ill./Limestone/Illinois Central) suffered her first loss of the season, dropping to 2-1 on the year with the setback.  Sherman was 2-for-4 at the plate, while Basham was 2-for-3 with two RBI as the duo combined for four of Bradley's seven hits in the contest.

Bradley plays its home opener Saturday, opening a three-game series against Missouri Valley Conference foe Creighton with a noon doubleheader at Laura Bradley Park.