PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley pitchers Rob Scahill and Peter Elmer combined on a 3-hit shutout, leading the Braves (19-15) to a 3-0 non-conference college baseball victory versus St. Francis (Ill.) Tuesday evening at O'Brien Field.

Scahill, a 6-1 freshman right-hander from Lombard, Ill. (Willowbrook H.S.), improved to 2-4 on the season by limiting the Saints to just two singles in his eight innings of work. The first Saint Francis hit was sun-aided as first baseman Jason Newburger lost a high-chopper off the bat of Karl Gotsch in the sun. The Saint got a more legitimate hit to lead off the fourth when catcher John Moore singled up the middle.

Scahill retired the next 12 hitters in order, however, a streak that ended on an error with one out in the eighth. After a second Bradley error in the eighth put runners at first and third with two outs, Scahill caught Brad Netzel looking for his seventh strikeout. Elmer gave up a leadoff, bloop single to right center to start the ninth, but got a double play ground out and a strikeout to end the game and earn his team-leading fourth save of the season. With nine career saves, Elmer moved within one of tying Jason Simmons (1990-93) for the most saves in Bradley history.

The three-hit performance by Scahill and Elmer was Bradley sixth shutout of the season, tied for the second-most in school history. The 1984 Braves managed seven shutouts in 50 games, while the 1980 (55 games) and 1961 (23) teams also recorded six shutouts.

As it turned out, Bradley got all of the offense it needed in the first inning. Centerfielder Brad Jones led off the home half of the first with a single through the right side of the infield. With one out, Jones swiped second base, then scored when Ryan Curry's ground ball squirted between the legs of Saint Francis shortstop Brad Netzel.

The Braves added two more runs in the second on back-to-back two-out hits, an RBI double by third baseman Paul Rice, followed by a single to left by Curry.

Bradley will return to action this weekend by visiting Wichita State in a pivotal Missouri Valley Conference series. At 9-3 in conference play, the Braves head to Wichita boasting a 2.5 game lead on Southern Illinois (5-4) and Missouri State (5-4) in the Valley standings and three full games ahead of the host Shockers (6-6). While Bradley and Wichita are battling at Eck Stadium, where the Braves have lost 21 consecutive games, the Bears and Salukis will be facing off in Springfield.