PEORIA, Ill. -- After locking up a spot in next week's State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Sunday with a 9-5 victory at Wichita State, the Bradley softball team wastes no time getting back on the field, closing out a five-game road swing Tuesday with a 6 p.m. game at Big Ten Conference foe Wisconsin.
In addition to closing out a five-game road swing, Tuesday's contest in Madison, Wis., is the final non-conference game of the year along with the final road game of the 2012 regular season. The Braves (19-27 overall, 9-14 MVC) finish the regular season with a three-game home series against Southern Illinois Saturday and Sunday at Laura Bradley Park.
Bradley and Wisconsin (30-15 overall, 12-6 Big Ten) will be meeting for just the third time and Tuesday's contest will mark the Braves first-ever trip to the Badger State. The game is the first of a season-long, six-game home stand for Wisconsin, which has won 10 consecutive home games.
Senior Jackie Roth (Hickory Hills, Ill./Stagg) drew her 50th career walk during the weekend series at Wichita State to join Gwen Seputis (1981-84) as the only players in program history with 50 runs, 50 RBI, 50 walks and 25 stolen bases in a career. With four games remaining in the regular season, Roth is four games from becoming the fifth player at Bradley to appear in 200 career games.
Sophomore Madeline Lynch-Crumrine (Sedro-Woolley, Wash./Sedro-Woolley) was 5-for-13 (.385) with a triple, home run, four runs scored and two RBI in the weekend series with the Shockers as she extended her hit streak to a season-best six games.
In addition to her offensive exploits, Lynch-Crumrine picked up both victories in the weekend series to push her team-best season win total to 10. The only player in the Missouri Valley Conference with 10 victories and 30 hits this season, Lynch-Crumrine is the first BU player with 10 or more wins and to collect 20 or more hits in a season since Amy Elza in 1996. Lynch-Crumrine is Bradley's top hitter with a .313 batting average in addition to boasting a team-best 2.63 ERA.
Freshman Shannon King (San Jose, Calif./Archbishop Mitty) was also swinging a hot bat over the weekend at Wichita State, going 5-for-9 with a double, two walks and three runs scored in the three-game set.
Senior Julie Sherman (Hickory Hills, Ill./Stagg) scored her team-best 28th run of the year and is looking to become the first player to lead the team in scoring in back-to-back seasons since Molly Bergeson (2005 & 2006). Sherman's 28 runs are the most by a Brave since Bergeson scored 30 runs in 2005 and she needs just two runs for the most runs in a two-year span since Laura Harms scored 70 times in 2003 & 2004.
Bradley's four seniors will be recognized prior to Sunday's noon game against Southern Illinois at Laura Bradley Park. The Braves can finish as high as sixth in the final MVC standings and will play Thursday, May 10 at either 11 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. in the opening round of the State Farm MVC Tournament in Carbondale, Ill.
