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10
Winner Bradley BRAD 1-1
7
Georgia Tech GT 1-1
Winner
Bradley BRAD
1-1
10
Final
7
Georgia Tech GT
1-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Bradley BRAD 0 1 2 0 2 0 2 2 1 10 11 0
Georgia Tech GT 0 3 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 7 9 3

W: Gray, Alex (1-0) L: Ben Schniederjans (0-1)

Alex Gray in action vs Milwaukee
Bradley University Marketing

Baseball Stings Georgia Tech, 10-7

Freshman LF Eli Rawlinson's first career home run put the Braves ahead to stay

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Game Recap: Baseball | | Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications
2018 Atlanta Challenge
Bradley 10, Georgia Tech 7

ATLANTA, GA - Freshman leftfielder Eli Rawlinson was 2-for-4 and his first career home run was a 2-run blast to put Bradley ahead in the seventh, leading the Braves (1-1) to a 10-7 victory against host Georgia Tech (1-1) in the second day of the Atlanta Challenge Saturday at Russ Chandler Stadium.

The win was Bradley's second straight against the ACC following a 2016 victory versus Notre Dame in San Antonio and the Braves improved to 3-1 all-time against the ACC on the Power 5 league's home fields.  In Bradley's only other true road games against active ACC members, the Braves split two games at Duke and dumped host Wake Forest, 6-4, during their 1987 spring break trip.

In a game that saw the teams combine to use 10 pitchers, Bradley senior RHP Alex Gray (1-0) stood out, earning his first career win by allowing one run on four hits with no walks and three strikeouts in his 5.0 innings of relief.  While Gray was sharp, throwing 43 of his 66 pitches for strikes, Georgia Tech's seven pitchers combined to offer the Braves 13 free bases on 10 walks and three hit batters.

Rawlinson's first career hit helped the Braves pull into a 3-3 tie in the third inning.  With the bases loaded and two outs, Rawlinson hit a ground ball into the hole between first and second.  Although Georgia Tech first baseman Kyle McCann came up with the ball, his off-balanced throw back to the bag was wide and ended up in the first base dugout.  Derek Bangert scored on the hit and Brendan Dougherty was awarded home on the error.

Georgia Tech needed just three pitches, however, to reclaim its 2-run lead in the home half of the third off Bradley starter Mitch Janssen.  After Joey Bart was hit by a pitch, designated hitter Tristin English launched a home run to right field for a 5-3 lead.

Gray relieved to start the fourth, though, and kept Georgia Tech in check while the Bradley offense continued to chip away against the swarm of Yellow Jackets hurlers.  Luke Shadid made it 5-5 in the fifth with a 2-out, 2-run single, highlighing an inning that also included a Rawlinson walk.

The Braves took the lead for good in the seventh when Rawlinson, a freshman from St. Johns, FL, followed a Jean-Francois Garon single with a deep blast to the left of the center field batter's eye.  Garon provided insurance with a 2-out, 2-run single in the eighth and the Braves pushed their lead to four runs, 10-6, on a bases loaded fielder's choice in the top of the ninth.

Junior RHP Matthew Richey relieved to start the bottom of the ninth.  Although he gave up a leadoff double and a 1-out, RBI single, Richey worked through the frame to close out the win.

Bradley will complete the opening weekend of the season at the Atlanta Challenge by visiting Kennesaw State for a noon CT start at Stillwell Baseball Stadium.  Redshirt junior RHP Sam Lund, a transfer from Madison College, is expected to make his Bradley debut as Sunday's starting pitcher.
 
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Players Mentioned

Derek Bangert

#42 Derek Bangert

1B
6' 3"
Senior
R/R
Brendan Dougherty

#26 Brendan Dougherty

IF
6' 2"
Sophomore
L/R
Jean-Francois Garon

#37 Jean-Francois Garon

OF
6' 3"
Junior
R/R
Alex Gray

#25 Alex Gray

RHP
6' 3"
Senior
R/R
Mitch Janssen

#21 Mitch Janssen

RHP
6' 3"
Junior
R/R
Matthew Richey

#33 Matthew Richey

RHP
6' 3"
Junior
R/R
Luke Shadid

#10 Luke Shadid

IF
5' 10"
Sophomore
R/R
Eli Rawlinson

#12 Eli Rawlinson

OF
6' 2"
Freshman
R/R
Sam Lund

#19 Sam Lund

RHP
6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
R/R

Players Mentioned

Derek Bangert

#42 Derek Bangert

6' 3"
Senior
R/R
1B
Brendan Dougherty

#26 Brendan Dougherty

6' 2"
Sophomore
L/R
IF
Jean-Francois Garon

#37 Jean-Francois Garon

6' 3"
Junior
R/R
OF
Alex Gray

#25 Alex Gray

6' 3"
Senior
R/R
RHP
Mitch Janssen

#21 Mitch Janssen

6' 3"
Junior
R/R
RHP
Matthew Richey

#33 Matthew Richey

6' 3"
Junior
R/R
RHP
Luke Shadid

#10 Luke Shadid

5' 10"
Sophomore
R/R
IF
Eli Rawlinson

#12 Eli Rawlinson

6' 2"
Freshman
R/R
OF
Sam Lund

#19 Sam Lund

6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
RHP