Bradley softball (5-9) headed east to compete in the MTSU Invitational against multiple teams.
However, one of the Braves’ matches against Detroit Mercy was canceled due to weather conditions. This didn’t stop Bradley from earning a 2-2 record for the weekend.
Following the cancellation, the Braves enjoyed extra time before their bout against North Alabama started, a team with an 11-4 record.
The matchup was close heading into the seventh inning due to stellar performances from juniors Sydney Kennedy and Cassidy Duskin, pitchers for Bradley and North Alabama, respectively.
Kennedy accounted for six strikeouts and allowed only five hits during her time in the circle. Unfortunately, due to an error on a grounder to third, Lions senior McKenzie Patterson was able to run to the plate and score North Alabama’s only run, securing the victory for her team.
With a bad taste in their mouths, the Braves looked to bounce back and did, defeating the Detroit Mercy Titans 8-2.
The game started a little rocky, with the Titans jumping out to a 2-0 lead. However, Bradley countered with a homer from junior Bailey Sample that knocked in sophomore Lauren DeRolf.
From there, it was a demolition.
The Braves put up six more runs which included graduate student Tori Meyer, sophomore Kierston McCoy, junior Angela Cirone and two more from sophomore Ashley Breeding crossing home plate.
The Braves didn’t carry this momentum into the second game of the day against Middle Tennessee (5-12). The teams were stuck in a scoreless affair until the third when, with the bases loaded, Titans senior Amaya Harris hit a single into center field and scored two runners.
That opened them up to four runs – two coming in the third and two coming in the fourth. Bradley did have a late rally with a Breeding bomb that also scored McCoy, but it was not enough to pull the Braves all the way back in a 2-6 defeat.
This loss didn’t stop Bradley from routing Army 7-1. The game was filled with runs in almost every inning, with the sixth being the only quiet one for the Braves.
DeRolf continued her excellent stint with three hits and two runs, bringing her total for the weekend to eight hits and three runs. Junior Abbott Badgley and Meyer contributed two hits each, along with Sample, Breeding, Kennedy and McCoy each picking up one. Badgley hit the lone homer of the game as Army’s only run came in the seventh inning, with the game already out of reach.
Bradley heads to Clarksville, TN to play in the Cathi Maynard Invitational March 9-11 before playing a doubleheader against SEMO on Tuesday.
