WICHITA, Kan. ? For the third time in Bradley's four postseason games, one big inning proved to be the difference.  In the final game of Friday's action at the ConAgra Foods Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, Missouri State rode a 5-run third inning to an 8-3 victory, sending the Braves home with a 2-2 showing at Eck Stadium.

Bradley ends the year with a 26-31 record, while tournament unbeaten Missouri State (33-20) advances to Saturday's championship game versus once-beaten Evansville.  The regular-season champion Purple Aces must beat MSU twice Saturday to claim the tournament title.

For the second time in as many games Friday, Bradley took a 1-0 lead in the second inning.  Against the Bears ace Brett Sinkbeil (5-1), third baseman Dan Brewer hit a solo home run with one out to get the Braves on the board.  Brewer's blast ended Bradley's scoreless streak against Missouri State at 24.0 innings, dating back to the final game of last season's 3-game series in Springfield.

In Friday's first game, the lone second-inning run was all the Braves needed on the way to a 1-0 victory versus Creighton.  The same was not true in Friday's finale versus the Bears, who now have won 10 in a row.

Missouri State threatened in the home half of the second, getting a leadoff single from Tim Rafferty and a two-out walk by Jacob Hilgendorf, but Bradley freshman pitcher Rob Scahill (3-6) got Tanner Mattson to pop out to end the inning.

The Bears cashed in on their threat in the third inning, however, erupting for five runs.  Ninth hitter Chris Taylor started the rally by drawing a leadoff walk.  Matt Lawson and Nolan Keane followed with bunt singles.  On Keane's bunt, third baseman Dan Brewer threw the ball down the right field line, allowing Taylor to score, then right fielder Pat Ryerson overthrew his cutoff man, allowing Keane to score and put the Bears ahead 2-1.  Designated hitter Clay Coulter followed with a 2-run home run to straight away center field for a 4-1 lead.  Rafferty and Matt Weglarz then followed with back-to-back doubles to complete the 5-run outburst.

Missouri State added to its lead in the fourth inning when Coulter drove home his third run of the game with a two-out, RBI single to left.  The Bears manufactured another run in the sixth after Lawson was hit by a Scahill pitch with one out.  Lawson promptly stole his 20th base of the season, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Keane's ground ball to second.

Bradley was not going to exit from the tournament quietly, however.  Ryan Curry started the seventh inning with a line drive single into right field and came home when Jason Newburger launched his fourth home run of the year to left centerfield.

Missouri State completed its scoring in the eighth when Keane brought home Taylor from third base with a two-out infield single.

The Braves tried to mount one more rally in the ninth against MSU reliever Matt Frevert.  Ryerson drew a leadoff walk and Newburger added a one-out single.  Brewer and Colby Luttrell both strike out, though, to end the game.