PEORIA, Ill. – Shaye Barton and Bella Peterson both went 2-for-4, each with an extra base hit, but Indiana State fell in an 8-6 decision in a back-and-forth game at Bradley Saturday afternoon.
 
Each team traded big innings in the contest with Indiana State (16-30, 4-17 Missouri Valley) using a three-run fifth inning to take a 6-5 lead thanks to Barton's two-run triple followed by Peterson's RBI single.
 
That came after Bradley (25-18, 12-8) posted a three-run inning of its own in the third frame as Taise Thompson's two run home run – her second home run of the game – came after a sacrifice fly one batter earlier. Thompson's second home run pushed Bradley to a 4-3 lead over Indiana State. The Braves would add a single run in the fourth on an RBI double to extend its lead to 5-3 before ISU would regain the advantage with its fifth inning offensive prowess.
 
With a 6-5 lead in the fifth, the Sycamores would surrender the lead when Bradley's Jillian Navarro, at the plate in a pinch-hitting scenario, drove in two runs with a single to left. Flipping the score and now with a 7-6 advantage, the Braves used a bases loaded hit by pitch in the sixth to send one more run across the plate.
 
Arielle Blankenship (6-9) was charged with the loss after allowing three runs on three hits in 1.2 innings in the circle, striking out one and walking two. Gabbi Schnaiter received a no decision after walking two and allowing four runs on seven hits in 3.1 innings in the start.
 
Megan Mahaffy (8-4) was credited with the win in a complete game performance, allowing six runs – five earned – on eight hits while striking out six and walking just two. Thompson led the Braves at the plate with a 2-for-2 performance with three RBI as she hit a pair of home runs. That came before she left the game after getting hit on the arm on a pitch in the fifth inning.
 
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Shaye Barton claims the honor with a 2-for-4 performance at the plate, driving in a pair of runs and scoring one herself. She hit her sixth triple of her career, the second three-bagger of the season.
 
STAT OF THE GAME
Indiana State recorded two triples in the game marking the second time this season the Sycamores have registered a pair of three-baggers in a single game. This marks just the seventh time since 2010 that ISU has recorded multiple triples in a game.
 
PITCHERS OF RECORD

• Win: Megan Mahaffy, Bradley (8-4)
• Loss: Arielle Blankenship, Indiana State (6-9)
• Save: None

RECORDS UPDATE

• Indiana State: 16-30 (4-17 MVC)
• Bradley: 25-18 (12-8 MVC)

NOTABLES

• Brooke Mann hit her first career triple in the game.
• Brooke Mann also threw out a runner attempting to steal for the 15^th time this season. That moves her into a tie for the Valley league alongside Loyola's Abbey Jacobsen and ties her own school record, originally set in 2017, for runners caught stealing by in a single season.
• Indiana State turned its 20^th double play of the season with a 6-4-3 sequence in the second inning. That is the 20^th double play of the season, a mark that leads the Missouri Valley Conference and ranks sixth in Indiana State history for a single season.
• The Sycamores were 2-for-2 in stolen base attempts makes ISU 77-for-85 on the season, a .906 percentage mark that leads the MVC and ranks tied for 18^th nationally.
• The two stolen bases by ISU marks the fifth consecutive game Indiana State has recorded multiple stolen bases.
• With two triples in the game this marked the second time this year and just the seventh time since 2010 that Indiana State has recorded multiple triples in a single game.
• Shaye Barton had the other triple for ISU, her sixth career triple. That ties Stacey Brown (1989-92) for ninth all-time in Sycamore history for career triples.
• Indiana State is now 34-64 all-time against Bradley with a 14-30 mark in Peoria.

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