GAME 1 RECAP - Northern Illinois 9, at Bradley 3

Northern Illinois roughed up Bradley starter Bryan Porter (0-1) for four runs in the first inning.  After leadoff man Pat Minogue grounded out to start the game, the next six Huskies reached safely.  After a 29-minute rain delay, Porter got a sacrifice fly from Justin Behm with the bases loaded for the second out, but was pulled after giving up a walk to number nine hitter Marc Besteman to reload the bases.  Reliever Eitan Barbalat got Minogue to ground out to end the rally, then allowed only one run over the next four innings in a solid relief outing.

Bradley halved its deficit in the bottom of the first, thanks to a two-out rally.  Shortstop Dan Brewer got things started with a walk and Ryan Curry followed with a sharp single through the box.  Curry's base hit brought back memories of the last time he faced NIU starter Marc Badgley March 30, 2005 at O'Brien Field.  In the second inning of that game, Curry drilled Badgley with a line drive, sending the Huskies hurler to the hospital with a skull fracture.  After a double steal advanced the runners to second and third, right fielder Colby Luttrell laced a two-run double off the base of the left field wall.

Bradley pulled to within one run, 4-3, with another two-out rally in the second.  Designated hitter poked a two-out single into right center field, and after advancing to second on a Badgley wild pitch, he scored on Pat Ryerson's single into left centerfield.  Bradley tried to put together another two-out rally in the third when Luttrell drew a two-out walk and Ryan Eigsti followed with a single into right centerfield.  After a wild pitch advanced both runners, Justin Carr hit a sinking line drive to centerfield to end the inning.

The Huskies got a run back in the fourth, thanks to a run-scoring double off the left field wall by Bobby Stevens for a 5-3 advantage.  Badgley, who had to depart Peoria by 3:45 in order to return to DeKalb for an evening class, gave way to Andy Deain (2-1) to start the bottom of the fourth and the new hurler promptly retired the Braves in order.

A second rain delay, this time 1-hour and 31-minutes in the middle of the fifth, forced the Huskies to go to the bullpen again as Dave Nykiel took over when play resumed.  Nykiel worked around a leadoff walk to Rice in the fifth, getting Dan Brewer to pop out before fanning Curry and Luttrell.  The Braves did not fare as well with their pitching change.  Converted centerfielder Brad Jones relieved Barbalat in the top of the sixth, but surrendered three runs on three hits, a pair of walks and a wild pitch in just one-third of an inning.  Scott Simon chased Jones with a 2-run single, pushing the NIU lead to 8-3.

The Braves threatened in the sixth, as Justin Carr drew a one-out walk and first baseman Mike McMillan followed by taking a pitch between the shoulder blades.  Northern Illinois closer Matt German relieved and struck out pinch-hitters Peter Malinowski and Curtis Hornaday to end the threat.  After Northern Illinois tacked on an insurance run with a Jordin Hood solo homer in the top of the seventh, German set the Braves down in order in the home half of the frame to end the first 7-inning contest.