Softball Closes Non-Conference Slate At Bruin Classic

Josh Schwam

Softball 3/10/2022 1:42:00 PM

PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley Softball returns to Nashville, Tenn., for the second time this season, with the Braves taking part in this weekend's Bruin Classic, hosted by future Missouri Valley Conference rival Belmont, to close out the non-conference portion of the schedule.

Originally scheduled to be played Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the Bruin Classic schedule has been altered due to cold temperatures and rain forecast for Saturday. Bradley's schedule for Friday stayed intact with the Braves opening tournament action with a 2:45 p.m. game against North Alabama (18-4 overall) and closing out the opening day with a 5:30 p.m. outing against Akron (2-12 overall).

After a day off on Saturday, the Bruin Classic resumes at E.S. Rose Park with Bradley (10-9 overall) taking on Akron again Sunday at 10 a.m. The Braves close out the trip Sunday afternoon with a 3:30 p.m. tilt against Belmont (6-7 overall).

BradleyBraves.com will provide links to live stats for all games of the Bruin Classic.

Bradley owns a 6-1 record all-time against this weekend's opponents, which includes a 5-0 mark under Head Coach Amy Hayes. North Alabama is a first-time opponent for the Braves. Bradley is 2-1 against Akron in a series that dates back to 1991 after winning a pair of games against the Zips last year at East Tennessee State.

The Braves have won all four previous meetings with Belmont. Bradley last played the Bruins in 2015, winning a pair of contests in Gulf Shores, Ala. Sunday's game will mark the first in the series played in Nashville. The Braves edged Belmont 8-7 in Bowling Green, Ky., in 2014 and the first meeting in Cape Girardeau, Mo., in 2007 resulted in Bradley's last no-hitter prior to Grace French tossing one Sunday against St. Thomas.

Bradley makes its second trip of the 2022 season to the state of Tennessee with the Braves returning to Nashville for this weekend's Bruin Classic after playing in a tournament hosted by Tennessee State Feb. 18-20. Bradley has played at least one game in the Volunteer State in seven consecutive years and has played a total of 70 games in Tennessee. Overall, the Braves are 34-36 in the Volunteer State, winning 10 of their last 11 games in Tennessee after wrapping up the Roar City Invite with a loss to Miami (Ohio) back on Feb. 20. Bradley is 22-19 in the state of Tennessee under Head Coach Amy Hayes, which includes an 11-2 mark in the last 13 games played in the state.

French tossed a no-hitter Sunday against St. Thomas, collecting the first no-hitter for a Bradley hurler since Ashley Birdsong had one against Belmont on March 11, 2007. Posting the fifth complete game shutout of her career, French earned the 24th no-hitter in program history and she is now the 11th Bradley hurler to toss at least part of a no-hitter. French is 2-2 with a 2.43 ERA and held opponents to a .157 average in her last four appearances, which includes a 2-1 setback against Auburn (#15 in the RPI). Her four losses this season have all come against teams currently in the top 65 in the RPI and have combined for a 69-14 (.831) record.

Bradley is second in the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring, averaging 4.89 runs per game to rank 91st nationally through games of March 8. Excluding the three games against nationally ranked teams this season, the Braves have averaged 5.69 runs per contest with a .286 average. Bradley's 31 doubles lead the MVC and rank 27th in the country, while the Braves are also second in the Valley in homers per game 0.68. Last spring, Bradley averaged 3.62 runs per contest.

Freshman Abbott Badgley has appeared in Bradley's starting lineup in 10 consecutive games and 14 times this season. She currently leads the Braves with a .364 average and has homered in three of the last six contests. Over that six-game stretch, she is 6-for-13 (.462) with one double, three homers, five runs and six RBI. In addition, she is 1-1 with a team-best 3.32 ERA over that stretch. Badgley's .364 average would be the best by a Bradley freshman since Erika Hansen in 2015 (.369) and she is looking to become the first frosh to lead the team in batting average dating back to 2005 (Trish Kowalewski).

Fellow freshman Katie Pederson has started 16 of the 18 games she has appeared in and is hitting .289. Pederson drove in four runs in Sunday's victory against St. Thomas and is third on the squad with 12 RBI. After a 2-for-10 start to the year at the plate, Pederson is hitting .314 with 12 RBI over the last 13 outings. Bradley's freshman class has combined for 30 of the team's 79 RBI or 38 percent.

Bradley follows up the Bruin Classic with its home opener, hosting Loyola March 19 & 20 for a three-game series at Petersen Hotels Field at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams.

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Players Mentioned

#32 Grace French: P/UT; 5' 4"; Senior; R/R

#00 Katie Pederson: C; 5' 8"; Freshman; R/R

#6 Abbott Badgley: RHP; 5' 9"; Freshman; R/R

Players Mentioned

#32 Grace French
: 5' 4"; Senior; R/R
: P/UT

#00 Katie Pederson
: 5' 8"; Freshman; R/R
: C

#6 Abbott Badgley
: 5' 9"; Freshman; R/R
: RHP

Softball Closes Non-Conference Slate At Bruin Classic

Players Mentioned

#32 Grace French

#00 Katie Pederson

#6 Abbott Badgley

Players Mentioned

#32 Grace French

#00 Katie Pederson

#6 Abbott Badgley