Softball Set For MVC Tournament Matchup With Indiana St.

Softball 5/8/2018 11:30:00 AM

PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley Softball has already pulled out victories in consecutive must-win contests to earn a spot in this week's Missouri Valley Conference Championship in Des Moines, Iowa, and will face another one when the Braves square off with #5 seed Indiana State Thursday at 11 a.m. in a Valley Tournament opening-round game.

Needing to win their last two regular-season games, Bradley (20-29 overall, 9-15 MVC) posted 3-1 and 4-2 home victories over Evansville this past weekend in addition to needing a pair of Indiana State (25-27 overall, 12-14 MVC) victories against Loyola for the Braves to earn the #8 seed in this year's Valley Tournament.

Bradley took two of three games from Indiana State to open the month of April, scoring five runs in each contest. After an extra-inning BU victory in the series opener, each of the last two games in the series were one-run contests. The Braves own a 63-34 advantage in the series with the Sycamores, which includes a 19-8 mark under 10th-year head coach Amy Hayes. Bradley is 6-4 against the Sycamores at neutral sites, which includes a 5-1 MVC Tournament neutral site record.

All seven games of the 2018 MVC Championship will be available on ESPN's new subscription streaming service ESPN+. In addition, BradleyBraves.com will provide links to live stats for all of Bradley's games in the tournament.

After missing the 2017 MVC Tournament, Bradley edged Loyola by a half-game for the eighth and final spot in the tournament. The Braves will be playing in the Valley Tournament for the fourth time in the last five years and sixth time in the last eight seasons. Overall, Bradley is 32-39 in Valley Tournament games with the 2018 event marking the team's 25th appearance. The Braves are 6-3 against Indiana State in Valley Tournament play, but the teams have not met in the post-season since 1993. In fact, Bradley has won the last three tournament matchups against the Sycamores and the six wins vs. Indiana State matches the most wins by the Braves in the MVC Tournament against any opponent (Missouri State - 6).

Freshman Stacia Seeton swept MVC Player & Newcomer of the Week honors following the regular-season series at Indiana State, hitting .545 (6-for-11) with a home run, three runs and three RBI against the Sycamores. Not to be outdone by the freshman, both of Bradley's seniors own better than .400 career averages against Thursday's opponent. Elizabeth Leonard missed the series with the Sycamores this spring, but is 14-for-30 (.467) with eight runs and seven RBI in nine career outings against Indiana State. Maria Schroeder has scored 13 runs in 12 games against the Sycamores to go with a .410 average (16-for-39) with eight RBI, a .615 slugging percentage and .511 career on base percentage.

Sophomore Allison Apke drove in all four runs in Bradley's must-win game Sunday against Evansville, helping the Braves to a 4-2 victory and lock up the final spot in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Apke snapped out an 0-for-9 stretch with a two-run first-inning homer as she tied Bradley season home run record with her league-leading 12th dinger of the year and added a two-run double later in the game. She matched the Bradley season home run mark of 12 originally set by current BU Assistant Coach Rachel Huggins as a senior in 2016 in addition to ripping her 11th double of the season.

On the year, Apke has team highs of 11 doubles, 12 homers, 44 RBI and 25 walks to rank among the top five in the MVC in each category. She is just the fourth player in Valley history to collect those numbers, joining a list which includes Illinois State's Jordan de los Reyes (2017), Indiana State's Megan Stone (2015) and Wichita State's Cacy Williams (2014). All three previous players to collect 11 doubles, 12 homers, 44 RBI and 25 or more walks in a season won MVC Player of the Year that season.

Sophomore Emma Jackson missed the regular-season series at Indiana State due to an injury, but has arguably been Bradley's top pitcher since returning the following weekend at Missouri State. Jackson, who posted a 2.81 ERA in Valley play and held MVC hitters to a .236 average, has tossed five complete games in her seven starts since her return. In her last eight appearances she is 2-4, but owns a 2.73 ERA while holding foes to a .220 average. Jackson has struck out 35 batters in 43.2 innings of work in her last eight outings with 15 walks. She earned her eighth victory of the season Sunday against Evansville to tie junior Megan Mahaffy for the most wins on the team this season. Bradley has two hurlers with eight or more wins in a season for the first time since 2013.

The winner of Thursday's matchup between Bradley and Indiana State will advance to face #4 seed Valparaiso Friday at 11 a.m. in a second-round matchup.

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