Softball Hosts Evansville To Close Home Stand

Josh Schwam

Softball 4/22/2022 10:00:00 AM

PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley Softball closes out its longest home stand since 2015, finishing out an eight-game stretch of games at Petersen Hotels Field at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex with a three-game weekend series against Evansville Saturday and Sunday.

The Braves (21-19 overall, 9-8 MVC) have won four of five games on the home stand after splitting a Tuesday doubleheader against Illinois State and enter the series against Evansville (21-19 overall, 6-11 MVC) tied with Southern Illinois for fourth in the MVC standings. The Purple Aces split a doubleheader at Indiana State Wednesday and come into the weekend series three games behind Bradley.

The series opens Saturday with a noon doubleheader and wraps up Sunday with a single game at noon. All three contests will be available on ESPN3 and BradleyBraves.com will provide links to live stats for each game.

Saturday will be Youth Softball Day at Petersen Hotels Field with youth softball coaches and players receiving free admission. In addition, Bradley faculty and staff (must show Bradley University ID) in attendance will receive a voucher for a free hot dog and drink.

The Braves own a 41-38 lead in the all-time series, which includes a 20-13 mark under Head Coach Amy Hayes. Evansville swept the regular-season series last year after Bradley had won the season series for six consecutive years between 2014 and 2019. The Braves are 15-6 in the last 21 games in the series dating back to the series finale in 2013. Bradley owns a 16-13 advantage in the series in games played in Peoria, which includes a 12-8 edge since 2004.

Bradley collected its third walk-off victory in four contests in a 4-3 win over Illinois State to open Tuesday's doubleheader with senior Grace French belting a two-out, RBI double in the bottom of the seventh to drive in the game winner. Owning an 8-5 record in one-run games, the Braves have four walk-off victories in league play and five overall this season. Bradley is 6-2 in one-run games in Valley play and 10-4 in one-run league contests over the past two seasons. The six one-run victories in conference action are the most for the Braves since a program record eight one-run wins in Gateway Conference play in 1986 (8-4). The only other season in which the Braves won at least five conference games by one run was in 2004 (5-4).

Bradley brings a 5-3 home record into the weekend series against Evansville. The Braves are 16-7 at Petersen Hotels Field at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex over the past two seasons and Bradley owns a 21-8 mark at the facility over its last 29 games. In Valley play, BU is 15-6 at home over the past two seasons and the Braves are 25-13 in home conference games dating back to late April 2018 after going 6-14 in the first 20 MVC contests played at Petersen Hotels Field.

Sophomore Camryn Schaller has been impressive in her four home outings in 2022, owning a 2-0 record with a 0.74 ERA (19.0 innings) and has held hitters to a .145 average. In fact, Schaller is 6-0 with one save in 10 career appearances at Petersen Hotels Field, while owning a 1.13 ERA and limiting opponents to a .208 average. Schaller struck out a season-best seven hitters Tuesday in 4.2 innings out of the bullpen.

Senior Lucy Mead enters the weekend series against Evansville with a career-best 10-game hit streak after going 2-for-8 in Tuesday's doubleheader against Illinois State. During her current 10-game hit streak, which is the longest by a Bradley player since Allison Apke had a 10-game hit streak in 2019, Mead owns a .424 average (14-for-33) with three doubles, five RBI and four runs. Mead is 5-for-15 with two doubles and two homers in her career against Evansville and is in search of the longest hit streak by a Brave since Apke had a 15-game hit streak in 2018. Bradley has only had four individuals with hit streaks longer than 10 games since the start of the 2016 campaign.

Picking up her team-best seventh win of the season Tuesday, French has also been getting done at the plate for the Braves; owning a .360 average in home contests this season (9-for-25) with two doubles and three RBI. The senior has reached base safely in a career-best 14 consecutive games, boasting a .386 average over that stretch.

The Braves follow up the weekend series against Evansville by opening a four-game road swing with a game at I-74 rival Illinois State on Wednesday, April 27 to wrap up the season series with the Redbirds.

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Players Mentioned

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

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

#9 Camryn Schaller: P/UT; 5' 8"; Sophomore; L/R

Players Mentioned

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

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

#9 Camryn Schaller
: 5' 8"; Sophomore; L/R
: P/UT

Softball Hosts Evansville To Close Home Stand

Players Mentioned

#32 Grace French

#4 Lucy Mead

#9 Camryn Schaller

Players Mentioned

#32 Grace French

#4 Lucy Mead

#9 Camryn Schaller