Solo home runs from Miriam Wegmann and Jacqueline Vitale provided the only scoring in the championship game of the 2009 State Farm MVC Softball Tournament as Bradley won its first MVC softball title and became the first team in league history to win the conference championship as the host institution. Tournament Most Valuable Player Ashley Birdsong allowed just two hits and struck out four to earn the win. 

Vitale homered to lead off the top of the second inning and Wegmann led off the fourth with a solo shot off of Creighton starter Tara Oltman.  Oltman allowed just three hits and struck out six in the loss.

Bradley will take part in its first NCAA softball tournament at a location to be determined.

The NCAA Division I Softball Championship selection show will air at 9 p.m. Central on ESPNU.

All-Tournament Team

MVP – Bradley -  Ashley Birdsong

Bradley – Alycia Bachkora

Bradley – Miriam Wegmann

Bradley – Anne Creighton

Creighton – Bailey Dawson

Creighton – Renae Sinkler

Creighton  - Michelle Koch

Illinois State – Casey Gorrell

Missouri State – Jenna Schwark

Drake – Elena Leon

UNI – Rachel Gerking

Indiana State – Darcy Wood

Indiana State – Katie Armour

Southern Illinois – Alicia Garza

Southern Illinois – Katie Wagner

Semifinal Recap

Top seed Creighton and host, No. 6 seed Bradley will square off in the 2009 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Softball Tournament final on Saturday at 3 p.m. on FS Midwest.  Creighton advanced with a 5-4 win over Indiana State in the first semifinal and Bradley topped No. 2 seed Southern Illinois, 5-3, in the second semi. 

Creighton received back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the fifth from MVC Player of the Year Renae Sinkler and Bailey Dawson and scored five runs, then held on after a four-run sixth inning answer from Indiana State in its 5-4 win.  Tara Oltman, the MVC Pitcher of the Year, carried a no hitter into the sixth inning and struck out four in her 29^th win of the season. 

Creighton advances to its eight MVC Tournament final in the past 11 years.  The Bluejays have won four of the past six tournaments.

Bradley advanced to its fourth MVC final with a 5-3 win over second seed Southern Illinois in the second semifinal on Friday.  Alycia Bachkora hit her 10^th home run of the season, a three-run shot, to give the Braves the lead in the third inning. 

Ashley Birdsong earned her third win of the tournament, striking out four and allowing three runs.

2009 marks the 10^th time in league history that the host institution has advanced to the championship game.  No host school has ever won the championship.  Wichita State was the last host to advance to a tournament championship game, falling to Creighton in 2005. 

Day One Recap

Indiana State won two games from the No. 8 seed to advance to Friday’s semifinal against top-seeded Creighton at 12 p.m. at the EastSide Centre in East Peoria, Ill.  The Sycamores received a near perfect game from first team all-conference pitcher Darcy Wood against Illinois State.  Wood carried a perfect game through 6.1 innings before ultimately settling for a two-hit, nine-strikeout, shutout.  Against No. 4 Drake, Indiana State rallied from an early two run hole and received five innings of relief from Wood in its 3-2 win.

Host Bradley plated a run in the bottom of the eighth inning in game two to top Missouri State, 3-2.  The Braves jumped out to an early lead in the tournament’s fourth game and added insurance for all-conference pitcher Ashley Birdsong in a 4-2 win over UNI.  The win is the seventh-straight for Bradley, its longest winning streak since 2004.

Tomorrow’s semifinals begin at 12 p.m. with No. 8 Indiana State taking on No. 1 Creighton and No. 6 Bradley taking on No. 2 Southern Illinois.  

Preview

The field of eight for the 2009 State Farm MVC Softball Championship is set for next week’s event at the EastSide Centre in East Peoria, Ill., hosted by Bradley University.  The Creighton Bluejays are regular-season Valley championship for a third-straight season and are the tournament’s top seed, receiving a double bye into the first semifinal on Friday, May 8.  Southern Illinois is the tournament’s No. 2 seed and also receives a double bye into the second semifinal. 

Northern Iowa missed the tournament field last season, but posted a 7.5 game turnaround to nab the No. 3 seed and a first round bye.   The Panthers will play the winner of the second opening round game between No. 6 Bradley and No. 7 Missouri State. 

Defending tournament champion Drake is the No. 4 seed and will face the winner of the tournament’s first game, No. 5 Illinois State or No. 8 Indiana State.

The Missouri Valley Conference will televise the title game from the 2009 State Farm MVC Softball Championship on Saturday, May 9, on Fox Sports Midwest, Fox Sports Indiana, Fox Sports Kansas City, Fox College Sports, Comcast SportsNet Chicago and Metro Sports.

On Saturday, May 9, Valley TV cameras will showcase EastSide Centre in Peoria, Ill., for the 3 p.m. Central telecast.  The title game will be shown live at 3 p.m. on Fox Sports Midwest, Fox Sports Indiana, Fox Sports Kansas City, Fox College Sports, Comcast SportsNet Chicago and Metro Sports – the league’s production company which is based in Kansas City, Mo. 

Bradley to Host MVC Championship

Bradley University will serve as host for the 2009 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Softball Championship for the third time in school history, from May 7-9. The 2009 event will be played at EastSide Centre in East Peoria, Ill., home to the IHSA softball state championships, the NSA Super World Series, the Mizuno Super 60 Elite softball tournament and the GLVC softball championship. 

Initially conceived as a local family sports and recreation facility, EastSide Centre opened July 5, 1997 on a high bluff in the middle of East Peoria. EastSide is the home field for East Peoria youth baseball, softball and soccer; East Peoria Community High School baseball, softball, soccer, football and track; Central Junior High School (District 86) track; and Robein School District 85 baseball, softball and track.

No team in the 26-year history of the conference softball tournament has won the title as the host institution.