University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Bradley
Panthers Fall to Bradley in MVC Softball Tournament, 4-2
5/7/2009 8:00:00 AM | Softball
May 7, 2009
EAST PEORIA, Ill. – The UNI softball team fell 4-2 to Bradley in a quarterfinal round game at the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Softball Tournament this evening. The Panthers, playing in their first MVC Tournament since 2002, were plagued by four errors in the loss despite outhitting the Braves, 7-5. With the win, the Braves improve to 23-26 on the season and will play No. 2 seed Southern Illinois tomorrow. With the loss, the Panthers fall to 34-22 on the year.
Bradley's Ashley Birdsong (17-10) earned her second win of the MVC Tournament after tossing a complete game eight-hitter. UNI junior Jen Larsen (18-12) took the loss after tossing 2 1/3 of an inning. Larsen allowed four hits and four earned runs.
To start the game, the Braves loaded the bases with no outs in top of the first inning after a single, an error and a walk before Miriam Wegmann's sacrifice fly pushed the first run of the game across the plate to give the Braves an early 1-0 lead. The Panthers were able to force a double play on the sacrifice fly and Larsen struck out Jacqueline Vitale to end the inning.
Bradley plated another run in the top of the second inning after Anne Creighton laced her first career homer over the left field fence to extend the Braves lead to 2-0.
The Braves scored a run for the third straight inning after a wild pitch allowed Janay Mitchell to score, and a fielder's choice RBI by Amanda Clack extended the Braves lead to 4-0.
UNI junior Rachel Gerking drove in the Panthers first run of the game in the top of the sixth inning after she ripped a single down the left field line. The run batted in extended Gerking's MVC and UNI single-season RBI record to 59. Gerking has notched a hit in 18 of the last 19 Panther games.
The Panthers loaded the bases in the top of the sixth inning with two outs after Lindsay Callanan's infield single. Callanan was originally ruled out, but after a protest by head coach Brittney Balduf grounded out to end the inning.
Freshman Mackenzie Daigh drove in the final Panther run of the game in the bottom of the seventh with two outs, but a groundout by Larsen ended the game with Daigh on first base.
Notes: The Panthers are 28-37 all-time in the MVC Tournament…The Panthers are 2-3 against the Braves in MVC Tournament games…Bradley won three of four meetings against the Panthers…Three of the four meetings between the two schools this season have been decided two runs or fewer…UNI junior Rachel Gerking finished the season with 59 RBI, which is a UNI and MVC single-season record.
