Normal, Ill. ? Senior pitcher Brandon Magee (Sheboygan, Wis./North) was lights-out yet again for the Braves in conference play as the 6-5 right-hander dominated I-74 rival Illinois State to move the Braves to 8-2 in MVC play with a 5-0 win over the Redbirds in Normal, running their win streak to six games.

Magee was on cruise control, retiring the first nine Redbird hitters he saw and allowed just four hits while striking out seven as the defending MVC Pitcher of the Week made a claim on a second straight award as he ran his scoreless innings streak to 19.1 innings with his second consecutive complete game shutout in MVC play.

Illinois State threatened to break up the scoreless streak in the fourth.  The hosts lead off the inning with a double from Jay Molina - who advanced to third on a ground out - but was then thrown out by second baseman Dan Brewer (Brookfield, Ill./Lyons Township) trying to score on a ground ball. 

The Braves (17-14, 8-2 MVC) grabbed the lead in the second inning when an RBI single from Brewer scored all-MVC third baseman Paul Rice (Beardstown, Ill./Beardstown), who had smacked a one-out double to center.

Another one-out double in the second, this time by center fielder Brad Jones (Potomac, Md./Landon School), helped produce another Bradley run as junior shortstop Ryan Curry (Downers Grove, Ill./South) followed with a single to left, pushing the Bradley lead to 2-0.

Illinois State's (11-21overall , 4-6 MVC)defense would contribute to the third Bradley run in the sixth as first baseman Jason Newburger (Vernon Hills, Ill./Vernon Hills) reached second on a throwing error by ISU shortstop Ryan Anetsberger, stole third and scored on an errant throw by catcher Kevin Dubler for a 3-0 Bradley lead.

The Braves followed up the ISU follies with a sac fly to right by Ryan Eigsti (Eureka, Ill./Eureka), scoring Paul Rice and advancing Dan Brewer to third, after the Braves had loaded the bases on a pair of walks sandwiched around a Brewer single. 

With two outs, Bradley got creative and put on the double steal.  Colby Luttrell (Kincaid, Ill./South Fork) stole second, Anetsberger couldn't handle the throw for his second error of the game which allowed Brewer to trot home with the third Bradley run of the inning for a 5-0 lead, far more than Magee would need.

Magee's shutout is his third in four MVC starts, allowing just two earned runs in 35 innings of work.  His 0.51 ERA is the best among Valley starters as is his 69 strikeouts.

The Braves will put their six-game winning streak on the line Saturday when they play games two and three of the weekend set with Illinois State in Normal at 2 p.m.  Game 3, originally scheduled for Sunday, is being moved up because of Sunday's forecast of rain.