OMAHA, Neb. -- Bradley's attempt at a late-inning rally came up short as Creighton (21-11, 7-3) held off the visiting Braves (15-13, 2-5) for a 4-2 Missouri Valley Conference baseball victory Friday afternoon at the Creighton Sports Complex.  Friday's game opened a three-game Valley series, which will continue with 1 p.m. games Saturday and Sunday.

Bradley fell to 0-3 in its Valley openers this season and the Braves have managed just five runs in the three Friday games, also dropping a 3-0 decision March 30 at home against Wichita State and 9-3 last Friday at Missouri State.

Creighton jumped on top early with two runs in the bottom of the first inning Friday, greeting Bradley starter Michael Christl (1-5) with four hits from the first five batters.  Robbie Knight led off with a single and went to second on Chad Ogden's sacrifice bunt.  Chris Gradoville drove home Knight with a base hit up the middle, but he was thrown out one hitter later trying to go to third on Darin Ruf's single to right.  Andrew Small made it 2-0 when he drove home Ruf with a double down the left field line.  Christl hit Andy Masten with a pitch before striking out Steve Winkelmann to end the inning.

Christl settled down, however, and allowed only a two-out double by Ruf in the third inning until the Bluejays struck for two more runs in the sixth.  Ruf, who finished 3-for-4, led off the sixth with his fourth home run of the season for a 3-0 Creighton lead.  Small followed with a double, and after Masten advanced him to third with a sacrifice bunt, Winkelmann drove brought Small home with a sacrifice fly.

While answering with a run in its next at-bat, Bradley actually sent the potential go-ahead run to the plate in both the seventh and eighth innings.  Third baseman Paul Rice drew a leadoff walk to start the seventh and Dan Brewer followed with an infield single.  Ryan Curry hit into a fielder's choice to put runners at the corners with one out and Rice scored Bradley's first run when Ryan Eigsti grounded out.  Colby Luttrell again put runners at the corners with a single to left and Mike McMillan followed with a walk to load the bases.  Creighton reliever Scott Reese took over for starter Marc Lewis and got out of the jam by getting Justin Carr to fly out.

Masten, who began the game as Creighton's designated hitter, relieved Reese to start the eighth, but the Braves greeted the new Bluejay closer with leadoff singles from pinch-hitter Pat Ryerson and Curtis Hornaday to bring the tying run to the plate with no outs.  Rice moved Ryerson to third with a fly out and Brewer followed with a sacrifice fly to pull the Braves within 4-2.  Curry, who entered the game second in The Valley with a .440 batting average, grounded out to end the rally.

After Christl set the Bluejays down in order in the bottom of eighth to register his first complete game since his freshman season, the Braves again sent the tying run to the plate with two outs in the ninth after McMillan singled up the middle.  Justin Carr flew out, however, to end the game.