PEORIA, Ill. - Illinois State banged out 15 hits, including at least one in all but one inning, but it took 10 innings for the Redbirds (28-20, 13-7 MVC) to complete a weekend sweep against Interstate 74 rival Bradley (17-25, 7-12) with a 5-3 win Sunday afternoon at Laura Bradley Park.

Catcher Caiti Kopp's third hit, a sharp single inside the bag at third, drove home two runs in the top of the 10th for the Redbirds.  Bradley threatened in the home half of the 10th after Alison Kresl hit a 1-out double off the wall in left field, but ISU pitcher Jordan Birch fanned pinch-hitter Lexi Cremeens and got Julie Sherman to ground out to end the game.

Both starting pitchers went the extended distance Sunday.  Birch (17-12) scattered six hits and struck out 11 in her 10 innings, while Bradley's Madeline Lynch-Crumrine (8-16) worked around 15 hits, striking out four.

After Jhavon Hamilton's solo home run gave Illinois State a 3-1 lead in the top of the fifth, the Braves battled back to force a 3-3 tie with two runs in the bottom of the fifth.  Shortstop Alex Chandler started the tying rally by drawing the only walk of the day off Birch to open the fifth.  Following a Shannon King sacrifice, Kresl singled to center and stole second.  With two outs Sherman blooped a ball into shallow left field, just out of the reach of a diving Lauren Kellar for a 2-run double.

Bradley will be on the road for its next five games, beginning with a Wednesday evening Valley contest at league-leading Northern Iowa.  The Braves will visit Wichita State for a 3-game set next weekend and Wisconsin before closing out the regular-season schedule with a 3-game series against Southern Illinois May 5-6 at Laura Bradley Park.