TEMPE, Ariz. – Bradley took a 6-4 lead in the top of the seventh on a Kathryn Spenn (Williamsville, Ill./Williamsville) two-run double, but Nevada answered with three runs in the bottom of the seventh to top the Braves 7-6 Friday morning at the season-opening Kajikawa Classic.

Trailing most of the game, Bradley (0-1 overall) pulled even at 4-4 with two runs in the sixth and Spenn's two-run double in the seventh gave the Braves their first lead of the contest at 6-4.  Nevada (1-0 overall) took advantage of a leadoff walk in the seventh and rallied for three runs to edge the Braves 7-6. 

Raquel Martinez walked to lead off the bottom of the seventh and Megan Sweet had a single. The second of three walks in the inning loaded the bases with one out and Bradley's lead was cut to 6-5 on a RBI single by Amanda Weis.  Pinch hitter Nikki Orozco tied the game at 6-6 with a bases loaded walk, before  Nevada was able to plate the game-winning run on a fielder's choice to the left side of the infield.

A hit batter and walk to open the bottom of the second proved costly for the Braves, with Nevada scoring first on a two-out RBI single by Aaliyah Gibson and Kwynn Warner following with one of her own to give the Wolf Pack an early 2-0 lead.  A Bradley error which would have ended the inning allowed another run to cross as the Braves trailed 3-0 after two innings of play. 

Bradley left the bases loaded in the first and a pair in scoring position in the second, before finally breaking through in the top of the third.  After drawing 32 walks as a freshman in 2015, sophomore Erika Hansen (Fillmore, Calif./Moorpark) earned a base on balls to open the top of the third.  Senior Alyson Clemente (Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta Valley), who missed the entire 2015 season due to injury, ripped a two-run homer to center field to cut the Nevada advantage to 3-2. 

The Wolf Pack made it a two-run game again with a solo homer off the bat of Jasmine Jenkins in the fifth, but Bradley answered with two runs in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 4-4.  Senior Rachel Huggins (Mt. Zion, Ill./Mt. Zion) led off the frame with a solo homer. 

Later in the inning, the Braves had the bases loaded with two outs after singles by sophomore Maria Schroeder (Lake Zurich, Ill./Lake Zurich) and junior Kelly Kapp (Freeburg, Ill./Gibault Catholic) for junior Kendall Duffy (Naperville, Ill./Benet Academy), who tied the game with a RBI single to left.   

Bradley struck for two more runs in the top of the seventh to go in front 6-4.  Clemente walked to lead off the inning and the Braves had runners at first and second with two outs after Schroeder was hit by a pitch.  Spenn drove in the go-ahead runs with a double down the left field line to plate both runners and give the Braves a 6-4 lead.  Bradley threatened to add more in the inning, but left the bases loaded for the second time in the game and the Braves stranded 11 runners in the contest. 

Both Kapp and Duffy collected three hits to help highlight a Bradley offense which roughed up Nevada pitching for 12 hits.  The pair extended their hit streaks to eight and seven games, respectively, while Hansen was 1-for-2 to push her hit streak to a career-best 15 games.  Freshman Julie Kestas (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) suffered the loss for Bradley, tossing two innings in relief. 

The home run by Clemente was the 13th of her career and moved her into a tie for sixth in Bradley history, three short of matching the school career mark. 

Bradley continues play at the Kajikawa Classic later today with an 8 p.m. (CST) game against Seattle in Tempe, Ariz.