PEKIN, Ill. - Western Illinois senior Meghan Strazar (Brighton, Ill./Southwestern HS) went 2-for-2 in the Westerwinds season opener against Bradley, but it wasn?t enough for a win as Western fell 4-0 to the Braves.After two scoreless innings, Bradley (1-0) posted the only four runs of the game in the top of the third. Christine Cooney began the Bradley rally with an RBI double to score Kimberly Dobill, and Molly Bergeson followed Cooney with a single. Joanna Petit drove two more runs in for the Braves with a double to left field and then crossed the plate for the fourth run of the game on a single from Jessie Musgrove. The Westerwinds (0-1) looked to even the score in the bottom of the fourth when Strazar recorded her second hit of the game with a single down the middle. Junior Jennifer Garcia (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection HS) then reached on an error by Bradley?s pitcher, and senior Ashley Gilland loaded the bases for Western on a walk. The Braves thwarted Western?s attempt at a comeback, though, with a strikeout and a ground out to leave three Westerwinds on base.Freshman Courtney Jacobson (0-1) picked up her first collegiate start while recording the loss for Western after allowing seven hits and four earned runs in 2.2 innings of work. Junior Christine Drankiewicz (Lynwood, Ill./Marian Catholic HS) completed the game for the Westerwinds and struck out three batters in 4.1 innings.Bradley?s Ashley Birdsong (1-0) collected her first collegiate with five K?s in 3.0 innings, and Brittany Dehler struck out eight batters and allowed just three hits in 4.0 innings in the circle.?It feels good to have the first game done and out of the way,? said first year head coach Holly Van Vlymen. ?Defensively, we did a great job, but offensively we need to get out bats going and be more patient at the plate and pick good pitches. Courtney started out strong for us with two solid innings, and Drank came in for the remainder of the game and did a nice job of controlling the score for us.?Western will return to action at the Bradley Indoor Tourney Saturday morning with a 9:30 game against Northern Iowa before facing Purdue at 11:15 a.m.