The Bradley softball team opened their 2018 season by hosting the Petersen Hotel’s Invitational at Louisville Slugger Sports Complex. After a 2-1 start for the first three games of the tournament, Bradley split their final two games between Washington and Western Illinois to start the year 3-2.
The Braves started off the year on a good note, handing SLU an 8-0 defeat. However, 4th-ranked Washington proved to be a tough opponent defeating the Braves 11-0 on Friday and 15-0 on Sunday. Despite the lopsided scores, head coach Amy Hayes said she was proud of her team’s performance against the PAC 12 powerhouse.
“[Sophomore] Emma Jackson did an unbelievable job,” Hayes said. “It was 4-0 with 2 outs in the 6th inning, and we had some things that we couldn’t stop. Once they get their train rolling, they’re really hard to stop.”
The Braves demonstrated their resiliency in the second game Sunday against Western Illinois. Once again, Bradley found themselves behind 3-0 in the second inning. Bradley responded right away with three runs in the home half. Western Illinois took a 4-3 lead in the third with an RBI single. However, the Braves weren’t quite done, scoring the final two runs and securing a 5-4 victory.
“We did some of that in the fall,” Hayes said. “We talked a lot about resiliency, grit and going punch for punch … That’s one of the things that we make sure we do. If they score, we score.”
The Braves’ comeback was highlighted by junior pitcher Julie Kestas’ eight strikeouts, junior Gabby Stoner’s two RBIs and Jackson’s first save. Hayes stressed that the team’s comeback victory would not have been possible without everyone doing their part.
“All of our kids contributed this weekend,” Hayes said. “Whether it was coming in and making a pinch hit, making a great baserunning decision, or having a heads-up play defensively … You have to be ready when your name is called. That’s when you know you’re a team.”
This weekend, Bradley will travel to Las Vegas for the Marucci Desert Classic. The Braves are slated to face familiar opponents in Nevada and Utah State. Hayes said she believes that familiarity will play well for their first road tournament of the season.
“San Jose State had a really good weekend,” Hayes said. “We went back and forth with Utah state last year in a couple games, and Nevada’s always a good opponent … going into this weekend, we’re probably going to play on a larger field, so the outfielders will have to communicate.”
