CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Northern Iowa's Gina Brown went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and three RBI, while Jamie Fischer limited Bradley to just two hits as the Braves opened a five-game road swing with a 4-1 loss to the league-leading Panthers Wednesday.

UNI managed just four hits off starter Mackenzie Camp (Mapleton, Ill./Limestone) in the loss and sophomore Madeline Lynch-Crumrine (Sedro-Woolley, Wash./Sedro-Woolley) tallied both of Bradley's hits in the contest against Fischer, but early runs proved costly against UNI, which improved to 18-2 in league play.

Mackenzie Daigh led off the game for Northern Iowa (34-12 overall, 18-2 MVC) with a double and scored on a one-out single off the bat of Brown.  UNI added another run in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly by Samantha Reimer to take a 2-0 lead.

Bradley (17-26 overall, 7-13 MVC) answered with a run in the top of the second.  A Lynch-Crumrine double to open the inning was followed by an Alex Chandler (Needles, Calif./Needles) walk and a bases loaded, two-out walk to sophomore Mariah Cole (Springfield, Ill./Chatham Glenwood) later in the inning drove in Lynch-Crumrine from third as the Braves trimmed the Panthers' advantage to 2-1.

A leadoff walk to open the bottom of the third inning would prove costly for Camp and the Braves as Brown belted her team-leading eighth home run of the year to push the Northern Iowa lead to 4-1. 

Lynch-Crumrine, who entered the game in the third, did not allow another hit in the final 3.2 innings in relief of Camp and UNI did not advance a runner past first in the final three frames, but a two-out Lynch-Crumrine single in the sixth was BU's only other hit in the contest. 

Fischer struck out seven Bradley hitters and walked two in the complete game victory as she improved her record to 18-2.

Camp gave up four hits in 2.1 innings as she dropped to 7-9 on the year with the loss.  Lynch-Crumrine struck out four and walked two in 3.2 innings of scoreless relief. 

Bradley continues the five-game road swing Saturday, opening a three-game Valley series at Wichita State with a noon doubleheader.