PEORIA, Ill. -- Valparaiso did not get a hit in eight of the nine innings against three Bradley pitchers, but the three hits the Crusaders (11-22) managed against Bradley starter Collin Brennan in the fourth inning were enough to deliver a 3-2 non-conference baseball victory at a chilly O'Brien Field Tuesday afternoon.

Brennan (5-1) suffered his first loss of his career by surrendering a one-out walk, followed by three straight hits, in the fourth inning.  A Josh Piazza single put runners at first and second and both runners advanced on a Brennan wild pitch.  Joe Lazar hit a high-chopper over Bradley's drawn in infield to plate the first run.  Piazza then scored on a passed ball and Matthew Augustine drove home what proved to be the clinching run with a line drive double down the right field line.

Freshman Tyler Thornton and Michael Christl combined to allow only one base runner over the final five innings, a one-out walk by John Guisti in the seventh, but a depleted Braves lineup could not muster enough offense to overtake the Crusaders.

With third baseman Paul Rice, first baseman Jason Newburger and catcher Ryan Eigsti all out of the starting lineup with leg injuries, Bradley used a total of five hitters Tuesday that brought season batting averages under .200 into the game, including two players who are hitting less than .100.  None of the reserves did anything to raise their averages as the Braves managed only seven singles, two each by Brad Jones, Ryan Curry and Peter Malinowski and one more by pinch-hitter Tony DiMonte.

The Braves failed to take advantage of bases loaded situations in the fourth and sixth innings before finally breaking through with two runs after loading the bases with one out in the seventh.  In the fourth, Adam Kimble hit into an inning-ending double play to end Bradley's first scoring threat.  Eigsti came off the bench with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth, but his fly ball to left field ended the threat.

Bradley got some help from the Crusaders for the two runs in the seventh.  Pinch-hitter Curtis Hornaday and second baseman Zach Norris drew walks off lefty reliever Jay Clites to open the frame.  After Brad Jones struck out, DiMonte hit a slow roller into the hole at shortstop for an infield single to load the bases.  Curry drove home his team leading 25th run of the year with a fielder's choice ground ball to short.  With runners at first and second and two outs, Malinowski hit a third straight ground ball that John Guisti could not handle to plate the second run.  That brought the team's leading hitter, Dan Brewer, to the plate, but the freshman third baseman flew out to center field to end the rally.

Dallas Cawiezell worked the final two innings for his second save of the season, preserving the win for starter Derek Smith (1-1), who scattered five hits in 5 2/3 innings of scoreless work.

Bradley will try to stop its four-game losing streak Wednesday by hosting MacMurray College in a 5 p.m. contest at O'Brien Field.