Live blog: Bradley 1 DePaul 0 (Final)
Seventh inning
Sherman leads off with a hit down the left field line, but the Braves can’t advance her from first. The inning ends when Plese makes a diving catch in foul territory on Watkins fly ball.
Bradley is three outs from winning its 10th straight and its first NCAA tournament game.
Heteniak leads off with a single up the middle. Warren, who pinch hit again, bunts into a fielder’s choice to third and Heteniak is out at second. Voss’ sacrifice bunt moves Warren over to second. The Bradley faithful are very rowdy with a victory one out away. Birdsong strikes out DeMas to win its first NCAA tournament game and advance to tomorrow’s winner’s bracket game at noon.
Sixth inning (Bradley 1-0)
The clouds are dark enough that officials at University Field have turned on the lights. The storms appear to be far enough a way to complete this game.
No hits again for Bradley, but Clack sent a shot to the warning track in fight field.
Patton may not know what hit her. Birdsong just struck out DePaul’s leadoff hitter, who is 0-3 today. And Birdsong just about missed what hit her on Plese’s liner up the middle. Birdsong barely got a glove on Plese’s hit, but it was enough to deaden the ball for her to pick up and get the out. The Bradley faithful get louder with each out and each end to an inning.The sixth ends with a long fly ball by Tarulli-Fish to the warning track in straight away center, where Clack caught the ball.
Fifth inning (Bradley 1-0)
Bradley’s bench is getting more energetic with its cheers, many of which designed to encourage the Bradley batter. An example: “Two, two, two, two-four.” This is done repeatedly for Bachkora, who wears No. 24. Not a lot to cheer about in the Bradley fifth though as Heteniak gets three quick outs.
Bachkora dives on the warning track near the Bradley bullpen down the right field line but is short of the ball. Still, great effort on the first pitch of DePaul’s inning. Ashkar pinch hits for Voss and reaches base on a hit to right field. She is sacrificed to second by Braget, who pinch hit for DeMas, and to third by Morgan, who pinch hit for Yniguez. With two outs and Ashkar on third, Bradley organizes its defense with a meeting in the circle. No need, Birdsong strikes out Mathews, who pinch hit for Morocco, to avoid Patton with runners in scoring position.
Fourth inning (Bradley 1-0)
Heteniak is having control issues. She walked Vitale to leadoff the inning and hit Creighton. Tarulli-Fish and DePaul coach make visits to the circle around a couple ground outs by Bradley to end the inning.
Birdsong has allowed one hit through four innings. DePaul is averaging 7.55 hits per game. Of great importance, Birdsong has kept Patton of the bases. DePaul’s leadoff hitter has a .509 batting average but is 0-2 with a couple ground outs to the left side of the infield. With runners on first and third, Birdsong gets out of a jam with her fifth strikeout of the day, this one on Voss.
Third inning (Bradley 1-0)
Bachkora, who leads the team in home runs this season, sends a two-out shot over the Warren’s head in right and off the wall. She gave it a good ride, but it’s going to take something special to get it over the wall with the wind blowing in. Wegmann’s ground out to third ends the Bradley half of the inning.
It’s clouding up to the west and the weather map confirms storms are on the way. A large cluster of storms is developing just north of the I-70 corridor near Kansas City.
Birdsong is on today. She has four strikeouts through three innings with two in the third. She gets Morocco to ground out to her to end the inning.
Second inning (Bradley 1-0)
Anne Creighton continues her hot streak. Her two-out single to center scores Sherman from second. Sherman reached base on a looper over the pitcher and stole second. Bradley 1-0.
Bradley is 20-7 when they score first this season.
DePaul’s Frankiewicz leads off with a single to right. Warren pitch runs and is caught stealing by Vitale. Wegmann made a great tag to make the out. The ball was to the first base side and Wegmann had to reach behind her to get the out.
First inning
First pitch came at 2:32 p.m. from Heteniak.
Looks like about 50 Bradley fans made the trip down I-55 through St. Louis and over I-70.
Watkins led off with a walk, Mitchell moved her over with a bunt, but a pop out and a fly out ended the Bradley half of the inning.
Patton, DePaul’s .509 leadoff hitter, grounded out to ss Wegman to start the bottom of the first. After a strikeout by Birdsong, a great defensive play by rf Creighton gets her out of the inning. Tarulli-Fish’s laser to right was fired back by Creighton to 1b Bachkora for the third out. It’s the rare 9-3 putout.
Lineups
Bradley is the visiting team on the scoreboard and is wearing red tops with grey pants. DePaul is wearing white jerseys trimmed in blue and red with blue pants.
Bradley’s starting lineup
2b Lindsay Watkins
lf Janay Mitchell
1b Alycia Backhora
ss Miriam Wegmann
c Jackueline Vitale
cf Amanda Clack
dh Julie Sherman
rf Anna Creighto
3b Jackie Roth
p Ashley Birdsong
DePaul’s starting lineup
3b Patton
lf Plese
c Tarulli-Fish
p Heteniak
dh Frankiewicz (batting for rf Warren)
ss Voss
1b Demas
2b Yniguez
cf Morocco
Game time in 15 minutes.
Welcome
Welcome to University Field, home of the University of Missouri-Columbia Tigers softball team and site of the Columbia, Mo. Regional in the NCAA Softball Championship Tournament.
Bradley (25-26) plays the DePaul Blue Demons (37-12) at 2:30 p.m. today in the first of two games. Check back often for updates.
Bradley senior pitcher Ashley Birdsong is warming up in the bullpen in front of about 30 red-clad Bradley fans sitting along the first base line. Birdsong is preparing for the Blue Demons, who are the No. 15 seed in the tournament and average .296 at the plate. Amber Patton is DePaul’s biggest weapon. The senior from Forsyth, Ill. has led the nation in batting average and enters today’s game hitting .509.
The wind is blowing in at about 22 mph and rain is in the forecast, though it is tracking north of Columbia thus far.
Game time in 21 minutes.