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9
Winner Bradley BRAD 23-15, 10-5 MVC
1
UNI UNI 20-18, 11-6 MVC
Winner
Bradley BRAD
23-15, 10-5 MVC
9
Final
1
UNI UNI
20-18, 11-6 MVC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
Bradley BRAD 2 0 3 3 0 1 9 11 1
UNI UNI 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 2

W: Mahaffy, Megan (7-4) L: Emma Olejniczak (6-9)

2
Bradley BRAD 23-16, 10-6 MVC
11
Winner UNI UNI 21-18, 12-6 MVC
Bradley BRAD
23-16, 10-6 MVC
2
Final
11
UNI UNI
21-18, 12-6 MVC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Bradley BRAD 0 0 0 2 0 2 4 2
UNI UNI 4 0 2 3 2 11 12 1

W: Jaclyn Spencer (5-2) L: Kestas, Julie (5-3)

Madison Schwindenhammer

Softball Splits Doubleheader At UNI

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Game Recap: Softball |
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Bradley Softball took the series opener at Northern Iowa 9-1 in six innings to extend its road win streak to a program record 11 games, but the Panthers slugged four home runs in the nightcap and snapped a five-game overall win streak for the Braves with an 11-2 victory as the teams split a doubleheader at Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex Friday afternoon.
 
The top two power hitting teams in the Missouri Valley Conference combined for six home runs and 23 runs on a windy afternoon in the twinbill as Northern Iowa (21-18 overall, 12-6 MVC) held on to third place in the Valley standings with the split.
 
After picking up the 12th road victory of the season (12-3) and 11th consecutive road win in the opener, Bradley (23-16 overall, 10-6) suffered its first loss in a road game since falling at then seventh-ranked Tennessee on Feb. 24.  The 12 road wins are the most for the Braves since posting a 12-8 road record in 1995.
 
In the opener, Bradley jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the first.  Freshman Lucy Mead, who extended her hit streak to seven games with a 3-for-4 effort, led off the contest with a single and the bases were loaded after Keeler van Breusegen reached on an error and Allison Apke drew a walk.  Stacia Seeton drove in the first run of the afternoon with a single through the left side to plate Mead and van Breusegen later raced home on a wild pitch. 
 
Northern Iowa answered with a run in the bottom of the first to cut the Bradley lead in half at 2-1.  Brittney Krodinger doubled to open the frame and scored on a single to center off the bat of Sammey Bunch. 
 
The Braves struck for three more runs in the top of the third after back-to-back singles by van Breusegen and Apke to open the inning.  Seeton drove in both runners with a three-run homer to left, smacking her eighth home run of the year, to give Bradley a 5-1 advantage.  Seeton went 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI to highlight the day's first game.
 
Another three-run inning in the top of the fourth pushed the BU lead to 8-1.  With runners at second and third, Mead ripped a RBI single to left to drive in sophomore Vicki Zaluske, who led off the inning with a double.  van Breusegen plated another run with a groundout and Apke belted a RBI double to right to cap the scoring in the inning. 
 
Mead got things going for Bradley again in the top of the sixth with a one-double to right center.  Apke drove her home with a single to left as the Braves took a 9-1 lead. 
 
Senior Megan Mahaffy was able to get out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom half of the sixth to close out the 9-1 win.  Ashley Chesser had a one-out double and the Panthers loaded the bases with only one out on singles by Adara Opiola and Tianna Drahn.  Mahaffy settled down to strike out the next two batters she faced to finish out the victory. 
 
Mahaffy matched a career high with five strikeouts in the complete game effort as she scattered seven hits and walked just one to improve to 7-4 on the year. 
 
Chesser belted three home runs in the nightcap to help power Northern Iowa to an 11-2 victory as the Panthers salvaged a split.  Back-to-back doubles and an Olivia Brooks single to open the game led to a run and the Panthers plated another run on a groundout.  Chesser capped a four-run bottom of the first for UNI with a two homer to right. 
 
Bradley couldn't take advantage of a two-out Apke walk in the first or a one-out Kealia Wysocki single in the top of the second.  The Braves left two more runners on base in the top of the third after two-out singles by van Breusegen and Apke. 
 
Another two-run homer by Chesser in the bottom of the third pushed Northern Iowa's lead to 6-0. 
 
Bradley finally got to UNI starter Jaclyn Spencer in the top of the fourth.  Wysocki drew a one-out walk and senior Katie Habryle followed with a two-run homer to right, pulling the Braves within four again at 6-2 as she ripped her fifth home run of the season. 
 
Chesser struck again in the bottom half of the inning, however, as she ripped a two-out three-run homer to give her squad a 9-2 advantage. 
 
Spencer retired Bradley in order in the top of the fifth and reached on an error to lead off the Northern Iowa half.  Emma Valainis closed out the game for the Panthers with a two-run homer to right to give UNI the 11-2 victory.  Spencer struck out 10 Braves in the complete game effort, limiting Bradley to just four hits as she improved to 5-2 on the year. 
 
Apke went 4-for-6 with two walks and two RBI to help highlight the day offensively, collecting hits in both games Friday.  Mead notched three hits in the opener and her 47 hits on the year are now tied for the fourth-most by a Bradley freshman, while her 37 runs scored is one short of matching the school freshman record of 38. 
 
The Braves and Panthers close out the series Saturday with a single at 11 a.m. in Cedar Falls, Iowa. 
 
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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
Megan Mahaffy

#3 Megan Mahaffy

RHP
5' 6"
Senior
R/R
Stacia Seeton

#13 Stacia Seeton

OF
5' 9"
Sophomore
R/R
Kealia Wysocki

#19 Kealia Wysocki

C/U
5' 9"
Junior
R/R
Vicki Zaluske

#34 Vicki Zaluske

IF
5' 5"
Sophomore
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
Megan Mahaffy

#3 Megan Mahaffy

5' 6"
Senior
R/R
RHP
Stacia Seeton

#13 Stacia Seeton

5' 9"
Sophomore
R/R
OF
Kealia Wysocki

#19 Kealia Wysocki

5' 9"
Junior
R/R
C/U
Vicki Zaluske

#34 Vicki Zaluske

5' 5"
Sophomore
R/R
IF
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