Illinois Holds Off Bradley For Softball Win

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Published on March 8 2018 6:58 am
Last Updated on March 8 2018 6:58 am

PEORIA, Ill. – Bradley rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh to pull within a run and had runners at second and third, but Illinois got a strikeout to hold on for a 4-3 victory over the Braves Wednesday night at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex.

Illinois (9-6 overall) starter Taylor Edwards had a no-hit bid going until the fifth inning and the Illini had a 2-0 lead thanks to solo homers by Maddison Demers (3rd inning) and Rowan McGuire (4th inning).

Freshman Stacia Seeton, who went 2-for-3 with a home run, triple and a pair of runs, collected Bradley’s first hit of the game with a solo homer to leadoff the fifth and cut the Illini lead in half at 2-1.  The homer was Seeton’s second of the season.  The Braves would go on to leave a pair of runners in scoring position in the inning, however, and left six runners in scoring position in the contest.

Junior Megan Mahaffy got Bradley (7-9 overall) out of a jam in the fourth taking over with a runner on first and no outs to get a strikeout, a fielder’s choice and a groundout.  Mahaffy sat Illinois down in order in the fifth on seven pitches and needed just five pitches in a 1-2-3 sixth.

Illinois was able to get to Mahaffy in the seventh, adding a pair of insurance runs.  A single, fielder’s choice and Bradley error put runners at second and third with no outs.  The Illini got a run on a groundout and a Kiana Sherlund RBI single pushed the Illinois lead to 4-1.

Seeton led off the Bradley half of the seventh with a triple down the right field line and scored on a Jillian Navarro single.  Junior Gabby Stoner later ripped a single down the left field line to put runners at first and second with one out.  After a fly out for the second out of the inning, senior Maria Schroeder pulled Bradley within a run at 4-3 with a RBI single to right center and the Braves had runners at second and third.  Illinois pitcher Emily Oestreich, who relieved Edwards after the Navarro single early in the seventh, got a strikeout to end the Bradley rally and close out the 4-3 win for the Illini.

Seeton went 2-for-3 with two runs and a RBI, while Stoner was 2-for-4 as the duo combined for four of Bradley’s six hits.  Schroeder’s RBI single in the seventh extended her hit streak to eight games, matching her longest career hit streak.

Mahaffy struck out three and surrendered just two hits in four innings out of the bullpen for the Braves.

Bradley returns to action Friday, opening play at the Louisville Classic in Louisville, Ky., with a 9 a.m. contest against Eastern Michigan.