Claire Devreese allowed two hits in seven shutout innings Thursday night in the Illinois softball team’s 5-0 win against Bradley.

The Illini jumped in front early, scoring all five runs in the first two frames. Catcher Lana Armstrong clobbered a three-run home run in the first that would have reached Florida Avenue had it not hit a tree. It was the backstop’s 15th home run of the year.

In the second inning second baseman Molly Lawhead started the inning with a single and later scored on Hope Howell’s triple down the right field line. Shanna Diller drove in Howell with a two-out double to tally the Illini’s fifth run.

“We’ve regrouped (from last weekend’s team slump) and scored some runs,” head coach Terri Sullivan said. “Lana’s home run I think was one of the farthest we’ve ever had on this field.”

Bradley starting pitcher Ashley Birdsong settled down and allowed only two hits after the second and finished with six strikeouts in six innings.

DeVreese pitched around three Illini errors to earn her fourth win and her first complete game of the year in four starts.

“Only a couple of times that (Bradley) had a chance to maybe do something she stepped up,” Sullivan said.

The win moved DeVreese’s record to 4-3 and lowered her ERA to 2.44.

“We’re coming into a big weekend,” Devreese said. “This is a great confidence booster for us.”

The Illini will travel to Iowa City this weekend for two games against the Hawkeyes. The games are the final of the Big Ten regular season before next weekend’s conference tournament taking place May 10, 11 and 12.

“Our Iowa series has always been a real competitive one,” Sullivan said. “We’re both really playing for fourth in first place in a conference with two teams ahead of us that are in the top ten in the country. A fourth-place finish is big.”

The final weekend of play will help determine seedings for all 11 teams. The Illini stand in fifth place with a conference record of 7-7 and the Hawkeyes are just a game ahead in fourth place at 9-7.

“We think it’s going to be a terrific battle,” Sullivan said. “We’re definitely going to have to bring our best. Iowa is always ready to fight hard.”