RICHMOND, Ky. -- Bradley's bats came alive to start the second weekend of the season as the Braves (2-2) took a pair games Saturday during the first day of the Eastern Kentucky Early Bird Invitational at Turkey Hughes Field.
Junior righthander Collin Walker (Channahon, Ill./Minooka H.S.) combined with senior reliever Josh Caruso (East Peoria, Ill./East Peoria H.S.) for a 7-0 shutout victory in Saturday's tournament opener versus IPFW (0-2) and junior righty Brandon Magee (Sheboygan, Wis./North H.S.) backed up the morning performance with his second strong outing of the season in a 9-4 afternoon win against the host Colonels (1-2).
Walker (1-0) scattered five hits in six innings in the opener and Caruso earned the save by allowing three hits in his three innings of work. The duo combined for 13 strikeouts, seven from Walker and six from Caruso, without giving up a walk. Sophomore third baseman Paul Rice (Beardstown, Ill./Beardstown H.S.) led Bradley's 11-hit attack by going 3-for-5 with a double and two runs batted in. Junior right fielder Joe Napoli (Peoria, Ill./Notre Dame H.S.) added a pair of doubles and senior left fielder Ryan Kenny (Peoria, Ill./Notre Dame H.S.) also added two hits for the Braves.
Bradley got all the offense it needed with a three-run first inning. Center fielder Johnny Sage was hit by a pitch to open the game, then went to second on a ground out by second baseman Ryan Curry and scored on Rice's double. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Rice scored on a deep foul ball to left by Jon Smith. Brad Canada, who walked in front of Smith's sacrifice fly, scored on Napoli's first double to complete the 3-run first.
The Braves pounded out 13 hits in support of Magee (1-1) in Saturday's second game. The Braves once again got the offense started early, scoring twice off Eastern Kentucky starter McKenzie Willoughby in the first inning. This time, Sage opened the game with a single up the middle, the stole second. After Curry struck out, Rice was hit by a pitch, then executed a successful double steal with Sage to put runners at second and third. Senior first baseman Brad Canada walked to load the bases and Smith came through with a two-run single through the left side of the infield.
Magee cruised through the first five innings, facing just two hitters more than the minimum, before tiring in the sixth. With Bradley ahead, 6-0, to start the sixth, Derrick Bussell and Shawn Flora drew consecutive one-out walks, then each moved up a base on a two-out wild pitch and scored on a Chris O'Dell single.
Rice added two more hits against Eastern Kentucky, including a solo home run in the seventh. Sophomore right-hander Michael Christl (Naperville, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) gave up a double and a sacrifice fly after relieving Magee in the eighth, but pitched a perfect ninth to close out the game.
The Braves will face Eastern Kentucky again Sunday morning before returning home.
