LAFAYETTE, La. – Senior Kelly Kapp was 3-for-4 with a double, one run, two RBI and a stolen base to help spark Bradley to a 5-3 victory over Bowling Green Friday at the Mardi Gras Classic.
 
In a game which started over an hour after the scheduled start time, Kapp wasted no time getting the Bradley offense going, opening the Bradley half of the first with the first of her three hits.  The Braves (5-6 overall) needed to rally, however, after Bowling Green (6-7 overall) scored three times in the top of the third.
 
An error and pair of Bowling Green singles to open the top of the third led to a run and a bases loaded walk later in the frame drove in another.  Kendyl Wheeler stole home to push the Falcons' advantage to 3-0.
 
Bradley got all three runs back in the bottom half of the frame.  The Braves had runners at second and third with one out after Elizabeth Leonard and Stephanie Campos singles and a sacrifice bunt.  Kapp plated both bases runners with a double down the left field line.  She later scored on a Caitlyn McCarron double to tie the game at 3-3.
 
Bowling Green threatened in the fifth with one out and runners at first and third, but Julie Kestas got a groundout and fly out to get out of the jam. 
 
The Braves struck for two more runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 5-3 lead.  Bradley had runners at first and second with one out for Leonard, who drove in the go-ahead run with a single up the middle.  An insurance run later in the inning made it 5-3 in favor of the Braves after Campos drove in the second run of the inning with a RBI groundout. 
 
Kestas retired the final eight batters she faced, sitting Bowling Green down in order in both the sixth and seventh to close out the victory out of the bullpen.  She struck out three and gave up just one hit in five shutout innings. 
 
Kapp extended her hit streak to seven games with the 3-for-4 effort and is now tied for fifth in Missouri Valley Conference history with 70 stolen bases.
 
Bradley continues play at the Mardi Gras Classic with a matchup against Mississippi Valley State, which got underway at 10 p.m.