Bradley softball extended its road-winning streak to eight games last Saturday after sweeping a doubleheader at Evansville. Sunday’s series finale was canceled due to weather.
The two wins brought Bradley’s conference record to 9-5 and improved its road record to an impressive 11-2.
In the first game, freshman pitcher Grace French was dominant in the circle for the Braves and took a no-hit bid into the fifth inning. She allowed no earned runs and just one hit over seven innings of work.
Evansville plated its lone run in the bottom of the second, but Bradley responded with an RBI double off the bat of sophomore Taise Thompson. The Braves picked up an insurance run in the sixth, thanks to a sacrifice fly by senior Katie Habryle. French shut down the Aces’ offense the rest of the way to seal a 3-1 victory.
French’s victory marked her sixth of the season (6-3). She’s the ninth freshman in program history to reach the mark. The California native leads the team with a 1.20 ERA in 15 appearances and has 47 at bats.
“Coming into this season, I knew that I wanted to take advantage of the opportunities I was given and help the team as best I could,” French said. “I am generally pleased with the success I have had in the circle, but being a perfectionist, I am always working hard to raise my game in the circle, at the plate and in the field defensively.”
In the second game, freshman shortstop Lucy Mead jump-started the Bradley offense in the third inning with a solo homer, followed with a walk by sophomore Vicki Zaluske and RBI double by junior Allison Apke. Evansville responded with two runs of its own in the bottom half of the third.
The game was not tied for long as Mead came through again in the top of the fourth with an RBI double that gave Bradley the lead for good.
Senior Julie Kestas (5-2) closed the door on the Evansville offense the rest of the game to secure the 4-2 Bradley victory and doubleheader sweep.
Saturday’s wins continued the impressive season for Bradley’s freshman class.
Mead’s two-hit, two-RBI performance in the nightcap was her 12th multi-hit game of the season, which is a team-high for the season. She became the fifth freshman in school history to hit six home runs in a season. The West Seattle product leads the team in batting average at .355.
“[Their contribution] means a lot,” head coach Amy Hayes said. “[French] has thrown well all year. We knew when we saw [Mead] that she could be someone to really help us. She saves a lot of runs on defense and produces a lot on offense, so you can’t really ask a whole lot more of her.”
French’s shutout lowers the team ERA to 3.46. She and Hayes credited the pitching staff’s skills for making it difficult for opponents to play the Braves.
“We probably have the strongest rotation that I’ve ever had here,” Hayes said. “They’re really throwing well and complimenting each other. What [pitching coach Desiree Ybarra] has been able to do with this pitching staff is really tremendous.”
The Braves will look to extend their road win streak at noon today in Cedar Falls, Iowa when they take on UNI. The three game series presents the Braves with an opportunity to jump the fourth place Panthers in the Missouri Valley standings.
After the weekend series, the Braves return to Peoria on Tuesday for a doubleheader with sixth place Illinois State.
