Allison Apke Plays On Bradley University Softball Team

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Published on February 13 2017 1:19 pm
Last Updated on February 13 2017 1:19 pm
Written by Millie Lange

Bradley used a seven-run first inning and held Northern Colorado to just three hits as the Braves earned their first victory of the 2017 season with a 9-1, five-inning win over the Bears Saturday to wrap up the second day of the Grand Canyon Kickoff Tournament.
 
A balanced offensive attack with eight individuals each tallying one hit helped power Bradley (1-3 overall) to the win over Northern Colorado (1-3 overall) as the Braves avenged a 6-5 loss to the Bears to open the season yesterday.
 
Sophomore Julie Kestas got off to a strong start for Bradley in the circle, retiring Northern Colorado in order in the first.
 
The Braves had runners at second and third with one out after back-to-back singles by freshman Brooklyn Bane and junior Elizabeth Leonard and a passed ball in the bottom of the first.  Junior Maria Schroeder drove in her fourth run of the year with a RBI single to center to open the scoring.  Sophomore Katie Habryle added another run with a RBI single and freshman Kealia Wysocki made it a 4-0 Bradley lead with a two-run single through the right side.  Sophomore Stephanie Campos ripped a two-run homer and sophomore Megan Mahaffy followed with a solo shot of her own in her first career at bat at Bradley to cap the seven-run first for the Braves.
 
Kestas worked around a leadoff double to open the Northern Colorado half of the second and sat the Bears down in order in the third.
 
A two-run bottom half of third for Bradley put the game out of reach.  The Braves loaded the bases with a hit by pitch, walk and bunt single.  Mahaffy drove in her second run of the contest with a bases loaded walk and senior Kelly Kapp followed a pitching change with a bases loaded walk of her own to plate another run and push the Bradley lead to 9-0.
 
Northern Colorado scratched across a run in the top of the fourth, before senior Jaelen Hull was able to close out the frame without any further damage and she sat the Bears down in order in the fifth to seal the 9-1 win for the Braves.
 
Kestas struck out three and walked none in 3.1 innings of work as she evened her record on the year at 1-1.  Mahaffy, Campos and Wysocki each went 1-for-1 with two RBI to help highlight Bradley’s offensive efforts.
 
Bradley closes out play at the Grand Canyon Kickoff Tournament Sunday with a 10 a.m. contest against tournament-host Grand Canyon.

After going 3-for-4 in the day’s first game, junior Maria Schroeder was 2-for-3 with two more RBI in Bradley second game of the day at the Grand Canyon Kickoff Tournament, but tournament-host Grand Canyon slugged seven extra-base hits to top the Braves 7-4 Friday night.
 
Grand Canyon (2-0 overall) struck for a pair of runs in the top of the first inning, plating runs on a single and double.
 
Bradley (0-2 overall) got one run back in the bottom half of the frame after senior Kelly Kapp led off the inning with a bunt single and stole second.  Kapp moved to third on a groundout and later scored on another groundout by Schroeder to cut the deficit in half at 2-1.
 
A two-out, two-run homer off the bat of Shea Smith in the top of the fifth pushed the Grand Canyon advantage to 4-1, but the Braves answered with a home run of their own.  Junior Taylor Willhalm’s first career home run, a solo shot with one out, once again cut the Grand Canyon lead to two (4-2) after five innings of play.
 
The Lopes lead stood at 6-2 when Bianca Bolin ripped a two-run double in the top of the sixth.
 
Junior Elizabeth Leonard led off Bradley’s half of the sixth with a single and came around to score on a Schroeder double.  Schroeder moved to third on a Grand Canyon error and later scored on a Katie Habryle sacrifice fly to once again make the deficit two runs at 6-4.
 
Smith finished a single short of the cycle for the Lopes, opening the top of the seventh with a triple.  She scored her third run of the contest on a single by Sierra Smith as Grand Canyon extended the lead to 7-4.  Grand Canyon hurler Brianna Aguilar retired Bradley in order in the bottom of the seventh to close out the win for the Lopes.
 
Schroeder highlighted the opening day of the 2017 season for Bradley by going 5-for-7 with three doubles, three runs and three RBI. Teutopolis' Allison Apke had one at bat for Bradley.
 
Bradley will have a rematch with Grand Canyon Saturday at 3:30 p.m. (CST) in addition to facing Northern Colorado at 6 p.m. (CST) during day two of the Grand Canyon Kickoff Tournament.