The Illinois softball team dropped to 1-6 in its last seven games Tuesday night as Bradley swept a doubleheader in Peoria.

After committing seven errors in its Big Ten home opener last weekend, the Illini struggled in the field once again. Bradley took advantage of Illinois’ six costly errors in the two games combined by scoring three unearned runs.

“We didn’t play real aggressive,” head coach Terri Sullivan said. “We just didn’t play Illinois softball.”

Sophomore Claire DeVreese was nearly unhittable early in game one, giving up only one base hit in the first three innings – until the fourth and fifth inning when Bradley’s offense took over, pounding out eight runs.

Bradley scored once on a passed ball and another on an RBI single from Jacqueline Vitale in the fourth. In the fifth inning, the Braves put runners on first and second, and left fielder Trish Kowalewski went deep for a three-run homer. Bradley then capitalized on three consecutive Illinois errors, scoring two unearned runs.

“Players have to step up and deliver a punch when they’ve had a punch delivered to them,” Sullivan said. “We didn’t do that. In a given inning we really fell apart and let some mistakes get the best of us.”

Junior left fielder Molly Lawhead went 2 for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored, and shortstop Angelena Mexicano went deep in the top of the seventh for her sixth homer, but it was too little too late. Bradley took the game by a score of 8-5.

In the second game, Bradley starting pitcher Ashley Birdsong was nearly flawless in a complete game. She struck out 11 and held Illinois to only four hits.

“We swung at some pitchers’ pitches that were out of the zone early,” Sullivan said. “She hit her spots – hats off to her.”

Illinois pitcher Brooke Buzard got her second start of the year, but pitched only one inning.

Bradley scored the first runs of the game in the second inning when second basemen Elizabeth Wilson singled to right field, driving in two. The Braves scored one more in the third when Kowalewski singled to right field. She drove in right fielder Bethany Till, who was hit by a pitch from reliever Kacey Coonce earlier in the inning.

Illinois scored its first and only run when first baseman Jenna Hall homered over the center field wall.

“Bradley answered back and that’s what a team that plays well does and that definitely took some momentum away from us,” Sullivan said. “We just weren’t able to throw some hits together late.”