TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Bradley trailed for most of the game after a pair of errors in the first led to three UAB unearned runs, but senior Rachel Huggins hit a three-run homer to help key a nine-run sixth as the Braves rallied for a 9-4 victory Friday to open the Unconquered Invitational. 

UAB (3-9 overall) took advantage of two Bradley errors to open the bottom of the first inning to score three unearned runs as the Braves quickly found themselves in a 3-0 hole.

Bradley (4-7 overall) starter Jaelen Hull got out of a bases loaded jam in the third after the Blazers loaded the bases with one out.  UAB added another run in the bottom of the fifth, however, on a double steal as the Braves trailed 4-0 through five innings of play. 

UAB starting pitcher Cara Goodwin limited Bradley to just three hits in the first five innings before the Braves finally broke through with eight hits in the sixth.  Senior Kendall Duffy (Naperville, Ill./Benet Academy) led off the frame with a double and sophomore Maria Schroeder (Lake Zurich, Ill./Lake Zurich) was hit by a pitch.  Huggins got Bradley on the scoreboard with a three-run homer to left for her team-best fourth dinger of the year. 

The Braves would strike for six more runs in the inning to take a 9-4 lead.  A pair of pinch hit singles and a walk loaded the bases for junior Kelly Kapp (Freeburg, Ill./Gibault Catholic), who pushed her hit streak to nine games with a two-out, two-run single to center as Bradley went in front 5-4.  Duffy loaded the bases again with a single for her second hit of the inning and a Schroeder single drove in two more runs as the Braves pushed the lead to 7-4.  Senior Alyson Clemente (Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta Valley) capped the inning with a two-run double to push her career doubles total to 26. 

UAB stranded a pair of runners in the bottom half of the sixth and Hull retired the Blazers in order in the seventh to close out the game as she earned her first victory of the year.  Hull matched a season high with six strikeouts and improved to 1-3 with the win.

Schroeder went 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBI to help highlight the day at the plate for Bradley, while Duffy also had a multi-hit outing with a 2-for-4 performance with two runs. 

Bradley continues play at the Unconquered Invitational later tonight with a 6:30 p.m. (CST) contest at 13th-ranked Florida State.