This past weekend, Bradley softball won four of five contests at the Citrus Classic in Orlando, Florida, beginning with a 9-run win over Purdue and ending with an 11-3 route of Savannah State.
The Braves played BIG-10 opponent Purdue twice, South Alabama twice and Savannah State once. Three of the four Bradley victories came in five-inning mercies.
The Braves opened the weekend on Friday by beating Purdue 12-3 in five innings. Freshman Lucy Mead had four RBIs on two hits and two walks in the game. She tied or led the Braves in all of those categories.
The Braves beat South Alabama by a similar score line, 12-4, in five innings. Sophomore Taise Thompson hit a two-run homer and totaled four RBIs, while three other Braves drove in runs.
Saturday wasn’t as easy for the Braves, losing 4-2 to Purdue. The Boilermakers plated two in the seventh inning to pull away. Sophomore Stacia Seeton led the Braves with three RBIs in the contest.
To wrap up the weekend, the Braves rolled over Savannah State, 11-3, in five innings. Seeton and Thompson combined to drive in eight runs and each had a home run. Seeton hit a grand slam, and Thompson’s homer tallied three for the Braves.
“I’m really confident in the way I’ve been seeing the ball and I think I’m in a good place at the plate,” Thompson said. “The team is in a really good place right now. I think this team has what it takes to win and that’s obviously what our end goal is.”
Head coach Amy Hayes said she believes the harsh competition in the non-conference schedule will help her team in the conference season. The Braves went 0-4 after facing the stiff competition of Louisville, Virginia and No. 7 Tennessee at the Tennessee Invitational.
She echoed Thompson’s confidence in the team’s chances for success.
“Stacia [Seeton] had an awesome weekend,” Hayes said. “Lucy Mead is really finding her feet at shortstop … Taise [Thompson] is like our battery. She always has the energy we need to play our best.”
The Braves head south this weekend with a double-header at Tennessee Tech on Sunday.
They open conference play with a three-game set against Valparaiso from March 16 to 17. All Bradley home games are played at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex.
