Bradley University Athletics

Softball Hosts Southern Illinois To Open Eight-Game Home Stand

Softball 4/14/2022 10:00:00 AM

PEORIA, Ill. -- After playing nine straight Missouri Valley Conference road contests Bradley Softball returns to Petersen Hotels Field at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex for the first time in a month, kicking off a season-long, eight-game home stand by hosting Southern Illinois in a three-game series Friday and Saturday.

Bradley (17-18 overall, 5-7 MVC) wrapped up a nine-game Valley road swing last weekend with a series at Drake and will be playing its first home games since opening conference play with a three-game home series against Loyola back on March 19 & 20.

The Braves and Salukis (20-13 overall, 9-5 MVC) will start the three-game series Friday with a 3 p.m. doubleheader and conclude the three-game set Saturday with a single game at noon. Friday's doubleheader will be available on ESPN3, while BradleyBraves.com will provide links to live stats for all three contests.

The eight-game home stand would be the longest for the Braves since having eight and 10-game home stands during the 2015 campaign. Bradley's three home games to date is tied with Loyola for the fewest in the MVC this season and only the Ramblers (16) have played more true road games than Bradley's 15 this season. In fact, through games of April 13 only six teams in the country have played fewer home games than Bradley's three home contests. The last two games of SIU's lone series played at Petersen Hotels Field in 2018 are the two highest scoring games in facility history with the Salukis taking game two of the series 18-10 and Bradley closing out the set the next day with a 14-9 victory.

Senior Lucy Mead brings a season-best five-game hit streak into Bradley's longest home stand of the year, collecting multiple hits in three of those five contests. Mead, who missed nine non-conference contests due to injury, is hitting .333 in Valley play and is 11-for-29 (.379) at the plate over the last nine contests. During her five-game hit streak she is 8-for-16 (.500) with two runs, three RBI and four stolen bases. Fellow senior Samantha Smith has also been swinging a hot stick over the last five outings, collecting multiple hits in four of those five games and is 8-for-14 (.571) over that stretch with four runs and two RBI.

Currently second in the MVC with 52 doubles, Bradley ranks 41st nationally in doubles per game at 1.49. The Braves have their most two-baggers since slugging 65 doubles in 50 games during the 2019 campaign and are currently on pace to break the school season mark for doubles of 73 set in 2018. Smith, who is hitting .389 in Valley action, has a team-best nine doubles this season. She entered the season with 11 career extra-base hits, but has 12 extra-base hits this spring and her team-best 27 runs are tied for second-most in the MVC this year.

Bradley follows up the series against Southern Illinois with the only midweek home games of the 2022 season with the Braves hosting I-74 rival Illinois State in a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 19.

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Players Mentioned

#4 Lucy Mead: IF/UT; 5' 8"; Senior; L/R

#12 Samantha Smith: OF/C; 5' 6"; Senior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#4 Lucy Mead
: 5' 8"; Senior; L/R
: IF/UT

#12 Samantha Smith
: 5' 6"; Senior; R/R
: OF/C

Softball Hosts Southern Illinois To Open Eight-Game Home Stand

Players Mentioned

#4 Lucy Mead

#12 Samantha Smith

Players Mentioned

#4 Lucy Mead

#12 Samantha Smith