Bradley Posts Back-to-Back Shutouts, Illinois State Wins

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Bradley softball posted back-to-back shutouts for the first time since March of 2015, with sophomore Grace French tossing a three-hit complete game shutout against Appalachian State in a 2-0 win for the Braves to wrap up Friday’s action at the Charleston Classic. 

Senior Sydney Young scored a run in the first and drove in a run in the second during a 3-for-3 effort at the plate, while French scattered three hits in the first complete game shutout of her career to improve to 3-0 on the year.

Bradley (7-5 overall) picked up consecutive shutouts for the first time since Match 28 & 29, 2015 in the final two games of a series against Loyola and had a pair of shutouts on the same day for the first time dating back to April 29, 2009 when the Braves had a pair of 2-0 wins over Indiana State.

Young opened the game with a single to left and eventually scored on a two-out RBI single by senior Kealia Wysocki to give Bradley a 1-0 lead.

Appalachian State (7-3 overall) got a leadoff single of its own to start the bottom of the first, but French would get out of the inning unscathed as the Mountaineers left a pair on in the first. 

In the second, Bradley had runners at second and third with two outs for Young, who slapped a RBI infield single which plated sophomore Camryn Monteer from third to give the Braves a 2-0 advantage. 

Bradley turned a double play in the bottom half of the second to erase a leadoff single and French was able to work around a one-out single in the bottom of the third for another scoreless frame. 

Appalachian State had its best scoring chance in the fourth after a pair of walks to start the inning.  A groundout and a pair of fly outs ended the threat, however, with the Mountaineers stranding a pair in scoring position.

French settled down from there, retiring Appalachian State in order in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to complete the shutout.  After the back-to-back walks to open the fourth, she retired the final 12 batters she faced in the win.
Allison Apke (Teutopolis) had a single for Bradley.

The victory improved Bradley to 7-4 on the young season for the team’s best start through 11 games since 2010. 

The Braves close out play at the Charleston Classic Saturday with an 11:15 a.m. contest against Virginia Tech. 

 Virginia Tech hit three homers and took advantage of four Bradley errors as the Braves wrapped up play at the Charleston Classic with a 9-1 setback to the Hokies Saturday afternoon at College of Charleston’s Patriots Point Field.

Bradley (7-6 overall) managed just three hits off Virginia Tech (10-3 overall) starter Keely Rochard, who struck out 10 in the complete game victory.
Rochard carried a two-hit shutout into the seventh before the Braves were able to break up the shutout bid.  Senior Brooklyn Bane drew one-out walk and moved to third on a double off the bat of sophomore Samantha Smith.  Bane eventually scored on a Virginia Tech throwing error on a fly out, before Rochard got a line out to close out the 9-1 Virginia Tech win.

The Hokies were out to an early lead with Grace Chavez belting a two-run homer in the top of the first to put Virginia Tech in front 2-0.  An inside the park home run by Maddi Banks in the second gave the Hokies a 3-0 lead. 

A RBI single by Jayme Bailey and a Bradley throwing error on a stolen base led to two more Virginia Tech runs in the fourth.  Bradley got out a bases loaded jam in the fifth, only to have the Hokies add a single run in the sixth and three in the seventh to build a 9-0 advantage.  A pair of BU errors and a bases loaded walk led to the run in the sixth.  In the seventh, Bailey ripped a two-out, three-run homer to give Virginia Tech the commanding lead.
Bradley heads back to the state of California next weekend to take part in the Gaucho Classic in Santa Barbara, Calif.  The Braves face host UC Santa Barbara Friday at noon (CST) to open tournament play.  

Illinois State 2, North Florida 1

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Alyssa Wiebel was Illinois State’s hero in Sunday’s walk-off win against North Florida to close the FAU “Strike-Out Cancer” Tournament, as the senior knocked an RBI double into left center field in the bottom of the eighth inning to win it for the Redbirds, 2-1.
Illinois State (6-7) went undefeated (3-0) at the tournament, which was shortened due to inclement weather in the area throughout the weekend.

BIRD BITS

Top Offensive Players -- Alyssa Wiebel: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI (game-winning), Andrea Coursey: 1-for-1, 2B, Mack Leonard: 1-for-3

Teutopolis graduates Kadi Borries had a single for Illinois State and Anni Borries played second but didn't get a hit.