PEORIA, Ill. -- After a week off, the Bradley softball team returns to the field Friday to open play at the Under Armour Showcase in Clearwater, Fla., with a 10:30 a.m. (CST) game against Boston. The Braves will play a total of seven games during the team's spring break trip to the Tampa, Fla., area, including an exhibition game against the Netherlands National Team Saturday.
Bradley (7-8 overall) has won three straight games for the first time this season after topping 2011 NCAA Tournament participant Indiana 3-2 to wrap up play at the Phyllis Rafter Memorial in Kennesaw, Ga., back on Feb. 26. The trip to Florida will be the first for BU since playing in the 2010 Under Armour Invitational and will mark the program's 18th trip to the Sunshine State in the last 27 years.
Head coach Amy Hayes will face her former team when the Braves square off with Boston (5-4 overall) Friday morning to open tournament play at the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater, Fla. Hayes was head coach at Boston from 2001-04, leading the Terriers to three America East Conference regular-season titles and a pair of AEC tournament championships.
The Braves will also face Wagner (0-5 overall) Friday at 3:15 p.m. (CST) to close out the first day of tournament play. Bradley beat Wagner in the squad's last trip to Florida during the 2010 season, posting an 8-1 victory against the Seahawks in the only previous meeting between the two schools.
Saturday's action is slated to begin at 10:30 a.m. (CST) against Long Island (2-18 overall), in the first game between Bradley and LIU. The Braves will face the Netherlands National Team in an exhibition game at 1 p.m. (CST) to wrap up the second day of play.
Sunday will feature the first game against Villanova since Bradley was a 3-2 winner against the Wildcats in Feb. 2004 in Chattanooga, Tenn. First pitch against Villanova is scheduled for 8 a.m. (CDT). The Braves wrap up tournament play Sunday at 10:15 a.m. (CDT) against Central Connecticut State.
Sophomore Madeline Lynch-Crumrine (Sedro-Woolley) earned all-tournament honors at the Phyllis Rafter Memorial, hitting .688 with a home run, three runs scored and an .875 slugging percentage at the plate. Lynch-Crumrine also factored in all three of Bradley's wins during the weekend, going 2-1 with a save and a 2.74 ERA in four appearances. She collected hits in 11 of her final 14 at bats and is hitting .609 over the last eight games.
Following the weekend tournament, Bradley will remain in the Tampa area to take on 23rd-ranked Syracuse Tuesday, March 13 at 2 p.m. (CDT). The Braves will also play a game at SIU Edwardsville (March 15) before returning home to open Missouri Valley Conference play with a three-game home series against Creighton (March 17 & 18) at Laura Bradley Park.
