PEORIA, Ill. -- Junior Madeline Lynch-Crumrine (Sedro-Woolley, Wash./Sedro-Woolley) drove in a run in the first inning and limited Drake to just five hits in a complete game victory, helping Bradley to a 3-2 win against the second-place Bulldogs Sunday afternoon at Laura Bradley Park.

Lynch-Crumrine and the Braves built a 3-1 lead with single runs in the first, third and fourth and had to get out of several jams late in the game to hold on for the 3-2 victory against Drake (25-17 overall, 11-5 MVC).  She improved to 14-10 on the year with the win, giving up two runs (one earned) and walking three while striking out none in her team-leading 19th complete game of the year.

Bradley (22-21 overall, 7-9 MVC) trailed 1-0 after the top of the first, but scraped together three hits in bottom half of the inning and tied it up at 1-1 with a run in the first.  The Braves had runners at first and second with two outs for Lynch-Crumrine, who singled through the left side to plate sophomore Brittany Burgess (Utica, Ill./St. Bede) with the tying run.

Junior Brianne Joseph (Post Falls, Idaho/Post Falls) led off the third with a walk and freshman Kathryn Spenn (Williamsville, Ill./Williamsville) gave Bradley a 2-1 lead with a RBI double down the left field line. 

The Braves struck for another run in the bottom of the fourth to build a 3-1 advantage.  Junior Alex Chandler (Needles, Calif./Needles) drew a walk to lead off the inning and moved to third on a stolen base and a sacrifice bunt.  She later scored on a wild pitch.  Bradley threatened to add to the lead with runners at first and third with one out, but Drake got the second out of the inning at the plate on a fielder's choice and the Braves did not score again in the contest.

Drake loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the fifth on a hit by pitch, error and Macie Silliman single, before Lynch-Crumrine and Bradley got out of the jam.  The Braves got the runner at third out at the plate on a fielder's choice to shortstop and another ground ball to second ball resulted in another out at home.  Lynch-Crumrine got pinch hitter Laura Brewer to ground back to her in the circle for the third out of the inning as Bradley took a 3-1 lead into the late stages of the game.

The Bulldogs had runners at second and third with one out in the top of the sixth and scored on a sacrifice fly to center off the bat of Rebekah Schmidt to pull within a run at 3-2.  Lindsey Vande Wall represented the tying run at third base and was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a pitch which rolled to the backstop to end the inning.

Bradley was retired in order in the bottom of the sixth and Drake had one last chance to tie it up in the top of the seventh.  Hayley Nybo was inches away from tying the game, belting a two-out double off the top of the fence in center.  Lynch-Crumrine settled down, however, and got Nicole Randel to ground out to end the contest.

Joseph was 2-for-3 with a run scored to help lead the Bradley offense as she pushed her season-best hit streak to six games. 

Bradley will play a 2 p.m. doubleheader at Northern Iowa Tuesday in Cedar Falls, Iowa, to open a five-game Missouri Valley Conference road swing.