1
Loyola Chicago
LUC
17-30
4
Winner
Bradley
BRAD
26-25
Score By Periods
| Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
R |
H |
E |
|
Loyola Chicago
LUC
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
1 |
|
Bradley
BRAD
|
1 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
X |
4 |
6 |
1 |
W: French, Grace (11-10)
L: Pepkowski, Peyton (12-14)
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Senior Grace French belted a pair of homers, driving in all four of Bradley's runs, and scattered six singles in a complete game victory as the Braves topped Loyola 4-1 in the second round of the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Championship Thursday at Missouri State's Killian Stadium.
With the victory, Bradley (26-25 overall) advances to this afternoon's 4 p.m. third-round game against #4 seed Drake.
French provided all the scoring Bradley would need as she tallied the first multi-homer game of her career. In addition, it was just the second multi-homer game in MVC Tournament history for the Braves with Marina Groenewgen smacking a pair of homers in a 2014 MVC Tournament semifinal win over Wichita State.
Loyola (17-30 overall) had a pair of singles in the top of the first, but stranded a runner and the Ramblers left four runners on base in the first two frames.
The first of French's two homers came in the bottom of the first, with the senior ripping a two-out solo shot to center to give Bradley a 1-0 lead.
Loyola had a walk and single to open the top of the second, before Bradley got the first out of the inning at third base on a fielder's choice on a comebacker to French. A groundball to senior Camryn Monteer resulted in another out at third and the Braves made all three outs in the inning at third after a two-out walk loaded the bases and French had Madison Ebeling hit into the third fielder's choice of the stanza.
In the bottom of the third, with Katie Pederson on base after reaching on an error and two outs it appeared the inning was over when senior Lucy Mead was called out at first on a groundball to second base. After an umpire review, Mead was ruled to beat the throw at first to keep the inning alive with the infield single. French followed with a three-run homer to center as Bradley built a 4-0 advantage.
Loyola opened the fourth with back-to-back singles, but French and the Braves kept the Ramblers off the scoreboard thanks in part to Bradley's league-leading 23rd double play of the year.
A Bradley error in the fifth helped lead to Loyola's lone run in the contest. Ebeling drew a one-out walk and a Bradley error on a fielder's choice to third put runners at the corners. A double steal with Amelia Thomas swiping second and Ebeling racing home, cut the Bradley lead to 4-1.
The Braves threatened to blow the game wide open in the fifth, loading the bases before Loyola hurler Peyton Pepkowski got a groundout to get out of the jam.
French worked around a two-out single for a scoreless top of the sixth and a one-out walk in the seventh as she earned her 11th win of the season with the 4-1 victory.
Bradley and Drake will play this afternoon at 4 p.m., with the winner advancing to Friday's 11 a.m. semifinal game against #1 seed Northern Iowa.
