Apke Hits 10th Homer of Year for Indiana State

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Published on April 9 2018 9:14 am
Last Updated on April 9 2018 9:14 am

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Freshmen Jillian Navarro and Stacia Seeton both had home runs during four-hit days and sophomore Allison Apke (Teutopolis graduate) ripped her team-leading 10th homer of the year to help power Bradley Softball to 5-2 and 5-4 victories at Indiana State Saturday.

The Braves (15-18 overall, 4-5 MVC) swept both games of a Missouri Valley Conference road doubleheader for the first time since March 2016 and Bradley head coach Amy Hayes earned her 200th victory as head coach of the Braves in the 5-2, eight-inning victory to open the day.

Indiana State (16-17 overall, 4-6 MVC) entered the day two games ahead of Bradley in the win column, but the Braves moved ahead of the Sycamores in the Valley standings with the sweep and now find themselves in a tie for third.

Junior Megan Mahaffy turned in one of her strongest pitching performances of the season in the opener, giving up just two runs (one earned) in a complete game, eight-inning effort.  She scattered nine hits in the victory as she improved to 5-9 on the season.

A pair of Bradley errors in the second inning led to an Indiana State run and the Sycamores threatened to add more with the bases loaded and only two outs.  Mahaffy got an out at the plate on a fielder’s choice and another fielder’s choice ended the inning.

The Braves struggled early against Indiana State starter Kylie Stober, collecting just one hit through the first five innings.  Seeton broke up Stober’s shutout bid, however, with a two-out solo homer in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at 1-1.

Another Bradley error to leadoff the sixth would eventually lead to runners at first and second with only one out.  Mahaffy made just two pitches to get out of the jam, however, getting a flyout and groundout to keep the score tied at 1-1 heading to the seventh.

Both teams stranded runners in a scoreless seventh as Bradley went to extra innings for the second time this spring.  The BU bats came alive in the eighth, with the Braves plating four runs in the frame.  Junior Gabby Stoner led off the inning with a double and Apke would later drive her in with a single to left as Bradley had its first lead of the day at 2-1.  Seeton followed with a RBI single of her own and Navarro would cap the scoring later in the inning with a two-run single on a comebacker that went off the Indiana State pitcher as the Braves led 5-1.

Indiana State had two runners in scoring position in the seventh after a single and double to open the inning.  Mallory Marsicek drove in a run with a one-out infield single, but Mahaffy settled down to close out the 5-2 Bradley win with a pair of groundouts.

Bradley’s bats stayed hot in the nightcap with the Braves tallying 11 hits in a 5-4 win.  Apke got things started with a two-out solo homer in the first inning to give BU an early 1-0 lead.

The Sycamores answered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning, though, to go in front 2-1 as Bella Peterson ripped a two-run double to right field.

Indiana State’s lead was short lived with Bradley coming up with three runs in the top of the second.  Navarro hit a one-out solo homer off the scoreboard in right field to open the scoring in the inning.  The Braves had a pair of runners on after an Indiana State error and Zaluske single.  Brooklyn Bane scored on a groundout and Schroeder drove in a run to give Bradley a 4-2 lead with a RBI single to left.

The Braves added an insurance run in the third on a Navarro RBI double to extend the lead to 5-2.  Bradley starter Julie Kestas gave up just one hit in the second, third and fourth innings, before Indiana State had a hit in the fifth and took advantage of a BU error to open the inning to score an unearned run, which trimmed Bradley’s advantage to 5-3.

Rebecca Gibbs led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo homer to make it a one-run Bradley lead at 5-4 and knock Kestas from the circle.  Mahaffy came on in relief to make seven pitches and close out the victory.  She sandwiched a fly out to deep center around a pair of groundouts as Mahaffy earned her team-best third save of the season with a scoreless seventh inning out of the bullpen.  Kestas picked up the win for the Braves, upping her record to 4-6.


Sunday's Game

Bradley Softball used a five-run third inning to break open a scoreless game, but Indiana State answered with five runs in the bottom half of the inning and plated the go-ahead run in the fifth to top the Braves 6-5 Sunday afternoon at Price Field.

The 6-5 victory for the Sycamores (17-17 overall, 5-6 MVC) kept Bradley (15-19 overall, 4-6 MVC) from completing a series sweep as Indiana State moved a half-game ahead of the Braves in the Missouri Valley Conference standings.

Both teams squandered scoring chances in the second with the squads each leaving runners in scoring position in the frame, before Bradley batted around and scored five runs in the top of the third.  Junior Gabby Stoner followed a Vicki Zaluske leadoff double with a single to put a pair of runners on for senior Maria Schroeder who drove in a run with a single to center.  Another run came home on an Indiana State error and freshman Stacia Seeton plated another run with a RBI single to center.  Freshman Taise Thompson had the big hit of the inning, ripping a two-run double to right center to give Bradley a 5-0 advantage.

Indiana State took advantage of two Bradley errors in the bottom of the third to score five runs.  An error and back-to-back singles to open the frame led to a run and BU’s second error in the inning allowed another run to cross.  With runners at second and third, Amanda Guercio drove in a run with a single to center and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Rebecca Gibbs trimmed the BU lead to 5-4.  Mallory Marsicek tied the game at 5-5 with a two-out RBI single up the middle later in the inning.

A leadoff walk in the bottom of the fifth proved costly as the Sycamores scored the go-head run to grab a 6-5 lead.  Guercio drew a walk to open the frame and Mariseck added a one-out single.  Indiana State had runners at second and third with two outs after a groundout and Leslie Sims beat out a bunt single to score Gibbs from third.

Indiana State hurler Della Gher, who came on in the third inning, sat Bradley down in order in both the sixth and seventh innings to close out the 6-5 victory for the Sycamores.  Gher struck out four and gave up just two hits in five scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

Only two of Indiana State’s six runs were earned, due to the two Bradley errors.  Thompson was one of three Braves with multi-hit games, going 2-for-2 at the plate with two RBI.  Schroeder was 2-for-4 at the plate as she moved into a tie with Tara Pearson for sixth in career hits at Bradley in addition to moving into sole possession of third in career runs scored at Bradley with her 125th run as a Brave.

 

Illinois State Powers Past Loyola

CHICAGO – Illinois State (13-23, 4-5 MVC) continued its winning streak against the Loyola Ramblers (16-15, 3-6 MVC), as freshman Morgan Day hurled her third shutout of the season in the circle to give the Redbirds a 3-0 series-opening victory.

Riley Hale led off the top of the first with a single to Loyola’s pitcher before a sac bunt by Andrea Coursey moved Hale to second and a ground out by the Redbirds moved the junior to third base. A two-out single up the middle by Shannon Felde pushed Hale across home plate for a 1-0 Illinois State lead. The Ramblers knocked a one-out double into right center field, but a strikeout by Day and a line out to Caitlyn Daly in left field ended the first inning of play.

Loyola sent the Redbirds down in order for the only time during the second inning. In the home half, the Ramblers drew a lead-off walk before three-straight ground outs closed the frame.

Catcher Lauren Prader hit an infield single to lead off the third inning to restart Illinois State’s momentum at the plate. A fielder’s choice sac bunt by Abby Turczyn placed a pair of runners on base before a sac bunt by Hale moved the duo into scoring position. A two-out walk was issued to Allison Spence, but a fielder’s choice kept the Redbirds at a one-run lead.

Riley Strandgard reached first base to open the fourth inning on a fielding error by Loyola’s second baseman. In the next at-bat, Alyssa Wiebel launched her second home run of the season over the left center field wall to push Illinois State out to a 3-0 advantage.

In the bottom of the inning, Day continued to battle in the circle by fanning back-to-back Ramblers to send Loyola down in order. A quiet fifth inning brought Wiebel back to the dish to lead-off the sixth. The sophomore drew a four-pitch walk to put a base runner on and advanced to third on back-to-back ground outs, but the Rambler defense held Illinois State from extending its lead.

Day and the Redbird defense sent Loyola down in order for the final two innings to take the 3-0 series-opening win over the Ramblers. The freshman finished the game with six strikeouts, while only allowing a pair of hits and three walks. With the victory, Day improves to 6-6 on the season.

Illinois State (14-23, 5-5 MVC) used a six-run fifth inning to power past Loyola (16-16, 3-7 MVC) in the series finale of a two-game set in five innings, taking down the Ramblers 8-0.

Right fielder Riley Hale was issued a walk to lead off the game to get the Redbirds on base early. A bunt single in the middle of a trio of Ramblers in front of the plate by Alex Caliva put a pair of runners on, but the duo was left stranded. Starting pitcher Sarah Finck threw heat from the get-go, catching the first Loyola batter looking at her pitches. The next two Ramblers grounded out to send the Ramblers down in order.

A pair of singles by Andrea Coursey and Lauren Prader in the top of the second kept Illinois State busy at the plate, but the Redbirds were still unable to bring a runner home. Loyola notched its first hit of the game in the bottom of the second with one out, but back-to-back ground outs kept the Ramblers off the board.

Caliva sent the first pitch of the third inning up the middle to get Illinois State’s lead-off batter on base for the third consecutive inning. A single to right field by Allison Spence put runners on the corners before a passed ball by Loyola’s catcher put the pair into scoring position for the Redbirds. A walk issued to Shannon Felde loaded the bases for Riley Strandgard, who launched a sac fly to left field to allow Caliva to touch home plate and put Illinois State on the board. A single to right field by Caitlyn Daly brought Felde home to give the Redbirds a two-run lead going into the bottom of the inning, where the Finck and the Redbirds sent the Ramblers back down in order.

Prader was dealt Illinois State’s third walk to start the fourth before a sac bunt by Hale pushed Prader into scoring position to force a Loyola pitching change. A wild pitch sent in by the Ramblers’ moved Prader to third base and a play at the plate by Loyola kept the Redbirds to a two-run advantage. In the bottom of the frame, Finck and the Redbird defense continued to take control by sitting the Ramblers down in order for the second-consecutive inning.

Illinois State’s bats continued to stay hot, with six hits by six Redbirds – Felde, Alyssa Wiebel, Daly, Prader, Hale and Caliva – in the top of the fifth to push the Redbirds out to an eight-run advantage. A pair of strikeouts by Finck, to go along with a ground out to Strandgard at shortstop, helped Illinois State run-rule its first Valley opponent of the season and first since the Redbirds run-ruled Evansville, 18-0, in the series opener against the Purple Aces in 2017.