Box Score ST. LOUIS - Junior Peter Malinowski (Balwin, Mo./Parkway South) drove in the go-ahead runs Tuesday afternoon, as the Bradley baseball team beat the Saint Louis University Billikens 5-2 at the Billiken Sports Complex.
Sophomore Tyler Thornton (Minier, Ill./Olympia) pitched a career-high nine innings to record the victory, giving up 11 hits and two earned runs in his first start of the season. Thornton picked up his first decision of the season, moving to 1-0 with the win.
Senior Ryan Curry (Downers Grove, Ill./South) and sophomores Dan Brewer (Brookfield, Ill./Lyons Township) and Colby Luttrell (Kincaid, Ill./South Fork) led the Braves offensively with two hits each. Luttrell had two doubles, while Brewer added one.
The Braves pounded out 10 hits, five of which were for extra bases. Down 1-0 in the top of the eighth, senior Brad Jones (Potomac, Md./Landon School) reached on an error, while senior Paul Rice (Beardstown, Ill./Beardstown) advance Jones to second on a sacrifice bunt. After Brewer was intentionally walked, Curry hit a bloop single to left-field, loading the bases. Bradley tied the game and took the lead on a two-RBI single by Malinowski. After another Billiken error, Luttrell added an RBI double, making it 5-1.
The Billikens chipped away at Bradley's lead, scoring once in the ninth inning to make it 5-2.
Bradley improves to 4-7 on the season with the win, while Saint Louis falls to 1-14 on the spring.
The Braves will be back in action Saturday as they make their first-ever trip to Hawaii to take on the University of Hawaii-Hilo baseball team in the first game of a six-game series. First pitch against the Vulcans is slated for 6 p.m.