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14
Winner Bradley University BRAD 28-17, 15-8 MVC
5
Southern Illinois SIU 31-12, 15-6 MVC
Winner
Bradley University BRAD
28-17, 15-8 MVC
14
Final
5
Southern Illinois SIU
31-12, 15-6 MVC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Bradley University BRAD 0 0 5 3 0 2 4 14 16 0
Southern Illinois SIU 1 0 0 0 0 3 1 5 8 0

W: Mahaffy, Megan (9-4) L: Jones, B. (21-8)

4
Bradley University BRAD 28-19, 15-9 MVC
7
Winner Southern Illinois SIU 32-12, 16-6 MVC
Bradley University BRAD
28-19, 15-9 MVC
4
Final
7
Southern Illinois SIU
32-12, 16-6 MVC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Bradley University BRAD 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 4 6 0
Southern Illinois SIU 2 0 0 0 1 0 4 7 9 0

W: Jones, B. (22-8) L: Kestas, Julie (7-4)

Softball Splits Saturday At SIU

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Game Recap: Softball |
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Senior Gabby Stoner collected five hits and scored five runs to help Bradley Softball split a doubleheader at Southern Illinois with the Braves taking the opener 14-5 and the Salukis rallying for a 7-4 walk-off win in the nightcap Saturday night at Charlotte West Stadium.
 
Bradley (28-19 overall, 15-9 MVC) smacked 25 hits on the day, including 16 in the opener, as the Braves split the rain delayed twinbill which didn't get underway until 5 p.m.  Despite the loss in the second game, Bradley locked up at least a top-four finish in the final Missouri Valley Conference standings and a double-bye for next week's MVC Tournament which will be held at Petersen Hotels Field at Louisville Slugger Sports Complex. 
 
Southern Illinois (32-12 overall, 16-6 MVC) secured second in the Valley standing with the come-from-behind victory in the day's second game. 
 
Stoner went 4-for-4 with four runs and three RBI in the opening game, scoring or driving in six of Bradley's 14 runs during a 5-for-7 day at the plate.  She scored five runs and finished the day with three RBI in the doubleheader. 
 
In the opener, Southern Illinois scored a run in the top of the first to take an early 1-0 lead only to have the Braves score the next 10 runs.  Stoner sparked a two-out rally for the Braves in the top of the third with a single and senior Allison Apke followed with a walk.  Stoner tied the game when she came around to score on a single off the bat of sophomore Taise Thompson and Bradley went in front 2-1 on a Stacia Seeton RBI single. 
 
Junior Kealia Wysocki delivered the big hit of the inning with a three-run homer to center, putting the Braves in front 5-1, as she broke the Bradley season home run record with her 13th dinger of the year.
 
Stoner highlighted a three-run fourth for the Braves with a two-run double after one-out singles by Vicki Zaluske and Lucy Mead.  Apke, who extended her hit streak to 10 games with a 2-for-3 effort in the opener, drove in Stoner from third with a single to right center to give Bradley an 8-1 lead. 
 
In the sixth, Stoner got things started again with a one-out walk.  Apke and Thompson followed with walks of their own to load the bases and Seeton drove in two runs with a single to left to give the Braves a 10-1 advantage. 
 
Southern Illinois kept the game alive with three runs in the top of the sixth.  A one-out single and walk put two runners on and Ashley Wood ripped a three-run homer to left center to cut the Bradley lead to 10-4. 
 
A four-run top of the seventh gave Bradley a 14-4 lead and put the game out of reach.  Back-to-back singles by sophomore Jillian Navarro and senior Katie Habryle to open the inning was followed by a two-run triple by freshman Grace French.  Fellow freshman Keeler van Breusegen drove in a run with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to left and Stoner smacked a solo homer to center for her fourth hit of the contest. 
 
SIU got a run with a solo homer by Jordan Spicer to leadoff the bottom of the seventh, but Bradley starter Megan Mahaffy got back-to-back groundouts and worked around a Maddy Vermejan two-out single to close out the 14-5 victory.  Mahaffy improved to 9-4 on the season with the complete game victory. 
 
In the nightcap, Bradley led 4-3 heading to the bottom of the seventh before the Salukis managed to tie it up with a run and a two-out, three-run homer by Katelyn Massa gave SIU a 7-4 comeback victory. 
 
Vermejan was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the first for SIU and Susie Baranski had a bunt single to put a pair of runners on.  A wild pitch later in the inning allowed Vermejan to come home from third and a Massa two-out single plated Baraski to give the Salukis a 2-0 lead. 
 
Bradley managed just one hit in the first three innings, before Stoner opened the top of the fourth with a single.  An Apke walk put two runners on and Thompson drove in Stoner from second with a double down the right field line.  A three-run homer by Seeton, which was her 11th of the year, gave the Braves a 4-2 lead.  Seeton drove in six runs and scored twice during Saturday's doubleheader.
 
The Braves threatened to add to their lead in the fifth, loading the bases on a Mead single and walks by Stoner and Thompson.  SIU got out of the jam, however, and managed to get a run in the bottom half of the inning to make it a one-run game.  Vermejan had a bunt single and moved to third after a Baranski single and wild pitch.  A one-out single by Jenny Jansen plated Vermejan from third to cut the Bradley lead to 4-3. 
 
Bradley left another runner in scoring position in the top of the seventh after a one-out triple by Mead and SIU rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh.  Maris Boelens was hit by a pitch to start the Saluki seventh and Vermejan followed with her fourth hit of the day.  Jansen drove in Boelens from third with a one-out single to tie the game at 4-4.  Bradley starter Julie Kestas got Wood to popout for the second out of the inning, but Massa ripped the first pitch she saw over the fence in left to give Southern Illinois the 7-4 walk-off victory.
 
Bradley and Southern Illinois close out the series Sunday with a single game at noon.  The Braves have secured their first top-four MVC finish since 2014 and can lock up the first top-three league finish dating back to a second-place showing in 1994 with a win or Northern Iowa loss at Loyola.   
 
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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
Megan Mahaffy

#3 Megan Mahaffy

RHP
5' 6"
Senior
R/R
Jillian Navarro

#24 Jillian Navarro

OF
5' 7"
Sophomore
R/R
Stacia Seeton

#13 Stacia Seeton

OF
5' 9"
Sophomore
R/R
Gabby Stoner

#11 Gabby Stoner

OF/U
5' 10"
Senior
L/R
Taise Thompson

#1 Taise Thompson

P/U
5' 3"
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

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
Megan Mahaffy

#3 Megan Mahaffy

5' 6"
Senior
R/R
RHP
Jillian Navarro

#24 Jillian Navarro

5' 7"
Sophomore
R/R
OF
Stacia Seeton

#13 Stacia Seeton

5' 9"
Sophomore
R/R
OF
Gabby Stoner

#11 Gabby Stoner

5' 10"
Senior
L/R
OF/U
Taise Thompson

#1 Taise Thompson

5' 3"
Sophomore
R/R
P/U
Kealia Wysocki

#19 Kealia Wysocki

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

#34 Vicki Zaluske

5' 5"
Sophomore
R/R
IF