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3
Winner Bradley BRAD 21-15, 8-5 MVC
1
Evansville UE 13-24, 3-11 MVC
Winner
Bradley BRAD
21-15, 8-5 MVC
3
Final
1
Evansville UE
13-24, 3-11 MVC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Bradley BRAD 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 3 6 2
Evansville UE 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2

W: French, Grace (6-3) L: Lockhart, Emily (5-12)

4
Winner Bradley BRAD 22-15, 9-5 MVC
2
Evansville UE 13-25, 3-12 MVC
Winner
Bradley BRAD
22-15, 9-5 MVC
4
Final
2
Evansville UE
13-25, 3-12 MVC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Bradley BRAD 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 4 9 1
Evansville UE 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 7 1

W: Kestas, Julie (5-2) L: Vetter, Izzy (7-8)

French (action)

Braves Take Two At Evansville

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Game Recap: Softball |
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Freshman Grace French gave up just one hit in a complete game effort in the first game, while fellow freshman Lucy Mead went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and a RBI double in the nightcap as the duo helped Bradley Softball sweep a doubleheader at Evansville Saturday with 3-1 and 4-2 victories.
 
Bradley (22-15 overall, 9-5 MVC) ran its road win streak to a school-record 10 consecutive games and has won four consecutive outings with the doubleheader sweep.  The Braves have 22 wins in a season for the first time since 2015 (22) in addition to the nine league victories matching last year's conference win total as Bradley moved into fifth in the MVC regular-season standings.
 
French is now the ninth freshman in program history to earn six victories, improving her record to 6-3 on the season with the complete game victory in the opener.  She took a no-hit bid into the fifth inning before Eryn Gould ripped a two-out double for the only Evansville (13-25 overall, 3-12 MVC) hit of the contest. 
 
The Braves have to rally from behind, however, with the Aces scoring in the bottom of the second.  Toni Galas drew a walk and stole second with two outs.  A Bradley error on the steal attempt allowed Galas to score all the way from first on the play as Evansville took a 1-0 lead. 
 
Bradley answered with two runs in the top of the third to go in front 2-1.  Mead had a one-out bunt single and sophomore Vicki Zaluske drew a walk to put a pair of runners on.  Sophomore Taise Thompson smacked a two-out double off the fence in right to plate a pair of runs and now has a team-best 30 RBI. 
 
The Braves added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth after freshman Keeler van Breusegen reached on an error to open the inning.  Bradley had runners at second and third after a Stacia Seeton single and a wild pitch for senior Katie Habryle, who plated van Breusegen from third with a sacrifice fly to center as Bradley built a 3-1 advantage. 
 
French retired Evansville in order in the bottom of the sixth and worked around a one-out error for a scoreless seventh to close out the victory. 
 
After going 1-for-3 in the day's first game, Mead got the scoring started for the Braves in the second game with a one-out solo homer in the third.  The homer was her sixth of the year and she is now the fifth freshman in school history to hit six or more home runs. 
 
Zaluske followed Mead's homer with a four-pitch walk and junior Allison Apke drove her home with a double to left, scoring Zaluske to give Bradley a 2-0 lead. 
 
Evansville was able to answer with two runs in the bottom of the third to tie things up at 2-2.  Back-to-back singles and a walk to start the inning loaded the bases.  Gould singled up the middle, driving in a pair of runs.  Senior Julie Kestas got a pop out for the first out of the inning and chased a walk to load the bases again with a strikeout and another pop out to get out of the inning without any more damage. 
 
A 10-pitch at bat by Seeton to leadoff the top of the fourth resulted in a double off the fence in left field and she later scored on a double by Mead to put Bradley back in front 3-2.  Mead now owns a team-best 12 multi-hit games on the year. 
 
Kestas retired Evansville in order in the fourth and the Braves added an insurance run in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead.  Apke singled to open the inning and van Breusegen added a one-out single of her own.  An Evansville error loaded the bases and Seeton drove in Apke from third with a single through the right side of the infield. 
 
Bradley erased a leadoff single in the bottom of the fifth with a double play and Kestas worked around a one-out single for a scoreless sixth as Bradley took a 4-2 lead into the seventh. 
 
Evansville tried to mount a two-out rally in the bottom half of the seventh.  Mea Adams had a single and the Aces had runners at second and third with two outs after Gould's third hit of the day to put the tying run at second.  Kestas got Katie McLean to fly out to close out the victory as she improved to 5-2 with the complete game win.
 
Bradley and Evansville close out the series Sunday with a single game at 11 a.m.   
 
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Players Mentioned

Allison Apke

#16 Allison Apke

IF
5' 6"
Junior
R/R
Katie Habryle

#25 Katie Habryle

C/IF
5' 9"
Senior
R/R
Julie Kestas

#15 Julie Kestas

RHP
5' 8"
Senior
R/R
Stacia Seeton

#13 Stacia Seeton

OF
5' 9"
Sophomore
R/R
Taise Thompson

#1 Taise Thompson

P/U
5' 3"
Sophomore
R/R
Vicki Zaluske

#34 Vicki Zaluske

IF
5' 5"
Sophomore
R/R
Grace French

#32 Grace French

P/UT
5' 4"
Freshman
R/R
Lucy Mead

#4 Lucy Mead

IF/UT
5' 8"
Freshman
L/R
Keeler van Breusegen

#8 Keeler van Breusegen

OF
5' 4"
Freshman
R/R

Players Mentioned

Allison Apke

#16 Allison Apke

5' 6"
Junior
R/R
IF
Katie Habryle

#25 Katie Habryle

5' 9"
Senior
R/R
C/IF
Julie Kestas

#15 Julie Kestas

5' 8"
Senior
R/R
RHP
Stacia Seeton

#13 Stacia Seeton

5' 9"
Sophomore
R/R
OF
Taise Thompson

#1 Taise Thompson

5' 3"
Sophomore
R/R
P/U
Vicki Zaluske

#34 Vicki Zaluske

5' 5"
Sophomore
R/R
IF
Grace French

#32 Grace French

5' 4"
Freshman
R/R
P/UT
Lucy Mead

#4 Lucy Mead

5' 8"
Freshman
L/R
IF/UT
Keeler van Breusegen

#8 Keeler van Breusegen

5' 4"
Freshman
R/R
OF