PEORIA, Ill. (April 5, 2006) ? Bradley scored in more innings than Saint Louis, but the Billikens put up more crooked numbers and held on for an 11-8 non-conference baseball victory Wednesday night at O'Brien Field.

Bradley dropped both ends of a split doubleheader Wednesday, falling to Illinois-Chicago, 11-0, in the day's opening game.  Six Bradley pitchers allowed 22 runs on 29 hits in the two games Wednesday.

The nightcap began in similar fashion to the day's first game as Saint Louis jumped on Braves starter Tyler Thornton (0-2) for five runs on six hits in the first inning.  Joe Guyre led off the game with a single up the middle and right fielder Ryan Crespi followed with a triple off the left centerfield wall for a quick 1-0 lead.  Johnny Sweeney quickly followed with a double down the left field line.  The inning also included RBI singles by Gilbert Marlowe and Tim Landy, who later scored the fifth run on a wild pitch.

Bradley pulled within 5-3 in the second inning, scoring the first two runs on a double by freshman leftfielder Colby Luttrell.  Luttrell later scored on a Peter Malinowski sacrifice fly.

From there, the Braves scored single runs in the fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth and ninth innings.  Saint Louis held off the rally, however, by scoring three in the third and three in the sixth.  Crespi, Sweeney and third baseman Tom Pinnell all collected three hits for the Billikens.  Pinnell drove in four runs on a pair of 2-run singles in the third and sixth innings.

Junior shortstop Ryan Curry went 3-for-5 for the Baves, while Luttrell added a second double to lead off the eighth to highlight his 2-for-3 performance.  Ryan Eigsti, Dan Brewer and Jason Newburger also had multiple hits for the Braves.

While the Braves have struggled to a 7-12 record in non-conference play this season, Bradley (4-2) leads the Missouri Valley Conference with four league wins after the first two weeks of league play.  The Braves will return to Valley action this weekend by hosting Indiana State in a 3-game set at O'Brien Field, beginning with a 6 p.m. contest Friday.  The series will include one o'clock single games Saturday and Sunday afternoon.