PEORIA, Ill. -- Illinois State outhit host Bradley 11-8, but the Redbirds (18-21, 8-8) committed a season-high six errors and the Braves (21-16, 5-8) took advantage to earn a 9-6 victory in the opening game of the Missouri Valley Conference baseball series Friday night at O'Brien Field.

Bradley junior catcher Ryan Eigsti went 2-for-4 with two runs batted in and threw out two Illinois State baserunners to lead the way for the Braves, who have six out of seven during their current home stand.

The Braves jumped on Illinois State starter Eric Theisen (3-6) to start the game, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first.  The first three Bradley hitters reached safely, Dan Brewer with a leadoff double, Paul Rice on a walk and Ryan Curry on a bunt single, to load the bases.  Justin Carr hit a sinking line drive into left field that Kyle O'Brien trapped.  Although the play scored Brewer, Rice was thrown out at third to take the hit away from Carr.  Eigsti followed with a single to left to plate Curry for a 2-0 lead.  Illinois State's first error led to the third run when first baseman Jesse Griswold threw wild to second after fielding Colby Luttrell's ground ball, allowing Carr to score from second.

Theisen recovered from the rough start to retire the next 11 Bradley hitters, but Bradley starter Michael Christl (3-5) was equally as tough until the fourth inning.  After giving up an infield single to Collin Salzenstein on the first pitch of the game, Christl retired nine of the next 10 Redbird hitters until Ryan Anetsberger picked up ISU's second hit of the game with another infield single with one out in the fourth.  After Kevin Dubler walked, Griswold followed with an RBI single to right field and Mike Stalowy closed the gap to 3-2 with a sacrifice fly.

The Braves pushed their advantage back to three runs by scoring two in the bottom of the fifth.  Brad Jones led off the inning with a walk, Brewer was hit by a pitch and Rice beat out a bunt to load the bases with no outs.  Curry hit a ground ball to third that resulted in an out at the plate, but Carr followed with a sacrifice fly for a 4-2 lead.  Theisen then tried to pick off Curry at first, but his throw went into the Redbird bullpen, allowing Rice to score for a 5-2 Bradley lead.

The seventh and eighth innings became eventful.  ISU pulled tow within 5-3 when O'Brien and Kyle Cherney hit back-to-back doubles to open the seventh, but the Braves came back with a pair of unearned runs against Redbird reliever Jim Sajewich for a 7-4 lead.  The Redbirds pulled to within 7-6 with three runs in the eighth and had the bases loaded with one out, but reliever Chris Wright wriggled out of the jam by getting Mike Tokarski to strike out and Salzenstein to pop out to end the rally.

The Braves gained some insurance in the bottom of the eighth on Rice's two-run single and Wright worked around an error and a walk in the ninth to earn his third save of the year.

Playing around the Peoria Chiefs schedule, the rivals will continue the series with a noon game Saturday at O'Brien Field and the start time for Sunday's series finale has been moved up a half-hour to 6 o'clock.