Bradley Wins Friday Night Game

Senior Kelly Kapp was 3-for-4 with three runs and three stolen bases to help Bradley to a 5-3 victory at New Mexico State to wrap up the first day of play for the Braves at the 2017 Troy Cox Classic.

Kapp moved into third in school history in stolen bases, pushing past Katie Kiss with her 66th steal of the career and ninth of the young season in the seventh inning.  Fellow senior Caitlyn McCarron went 2-for-3 with two RBI as she extended her career-best hit streak to seven games to help highlight the win.

Bradley jumped out to an early 3-0 lead thanks in part to the senior duo.  Kapp led off the contest with a bunt single and stole second.  After moving to third on a fly out, Kapp raced home for the first run of the game on a McCarron sacrifice fly.  Sophomore Katie Habryle drew a two-out walk and Megan Mahaffy ripped her team-leading third home run with a two-run shot as Bradley went in front 3-0.

After giving up a leadoff single in the bottom of the first, Mahaffy settled down to retire eight of the next nine batters she faced and took a shutout into the fourth.

The Aggies were eventually able to get to Mahaffy in the fourth.  Kelsey Horton followed an Amy Bergeson single with a two-run homer to trim Bradley’s lead to 3-2.  With two outs and runners at second and third, senior Jaelen Hull took over in the circle for Mahaffy and got a groundout to end the New Mexico State threat.

The Braves got one run back in the top of the fifth.  Kapp had a bunt single and stole second to open the frame.  She later scored from third on a McCarron single to push the Bradley advantage to 4-2.

Hull worked around a one-out single in the fifth and sat the Aggies down in order in the sixth as the Braves took a two-run edge into the seventh.

Kapp struck again in the seventh, reaching on an error to leadoff the inning and swiping second for the third time on the night.  Junior Maria Schroeder drew a walk and a McCarron single loaded the bases.  Kapp provided an insurance run when she scored on a two-out passed ball to give Bradley a 5-2 lead.

New Mexico State’s Alexis Maynez ended a 12.1 scoreless inning streak for Hull to start the season with a one-out solo homer in the seventh as the Aggies pulled within two runs at 5-3.  Hull was able to close out the game, however, to earn her first save of the season and tie the Bradley career saves record with her sixth.  She struck out five and walked none in 3.1 innings of work.

Mahaffy scatted six hits over 3.2 innings to pick up her first win of the year.

Bradley continues play at the Troy Cox Classic Saturday with games against Oregon State at noon (CST) and 14th-ranked Tennessee at 7 p.m. (CST).