Springfield, Mo. -- Paul Marsala pitched seven innings of four-hit ball and struck out seven as the SMS baseball team hung on for a 5-4 Missouri Valley Conference victory over Bradley Saturday at Price Cutter Park.

Marsala (2-1) allowed two runs on the four hits and walked four as he picked up his second straight victory as the Bears won their eighth straight home game and won for the seventh time in the last nine games overall.

With SMS (11-13, 3-2 MVC) leading 5-2, Bradley (15-8, 2-3 MVC) scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning and the Braves had the bases loaded with two outs when David Smith struck out Bradley 2B Ryan Curry to perserve the Bears' lead.

Smith allowed a hit in the top of the ninth but retired the other three Braves he faced in the inning to get his first save of the season.

The Bears got on the board in the bottom of the first inning when Matt Weglarz's infield single drove in Kirk McConnell from third base.

The Braves scored a run on a bases loaded walk in the top of the third inning but Marsala pitched his way out of a huge jam in that same inning. After the run had scored, Marsala faced a bases loaded situation with no outs but the junior from Buffalo struck out 3B Paul Rice and got catcher Brad Canada to ground into a double play to end the inning.

SMS took advantage of a pair of Bradley errors in the third inning to get three unearned runs. Zach Harris's two-out, two-RBI double was the big blow of the inning and Harris then scored on an RBI single by Tim Rafferty.

Jake Manning's seventh inning solo home run extended the Bears' lead and gave SMS the cushion it needed going into the eighth inning.

Weglarz, Manning and Kirk McConnell all had two hits and Johnny Sage and Ryan Kenny had five of the Braves' seven hits in the game.

SMS will go for the series sweep on Sunday when the Bears host the Braves at Price Cutter Park beginning at 1 p.m.