PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley used three eighth inning doubles, the last by sophomore second baseman Dan Brewer, to complete its rally from a 7-run, second-inning deficit and complete its weekend sweep of Interstate 74 rival Illinois State with a 9-8 Missouri Valley Conference baseball win Sunday night at O'Brien Field.

Junior right-hander Chris Wright, who earned his third save of the year in Friday's 9-6 win with two innings of scoreless relief, allowed the Braves (23-16, 7-8) to rally by allowing just two runs on three hits in his 6.0 innings of relief for starter Jon Goebel.  Freshman right-hander Brad Altbach, who got Saturday's save with 3.0 innings of effective relief, earned the win Sunday and improved to 6-2 on the year by striking out four in 2.1 innings of hitless relief.

Illinois State right fielder Matt Bolt started the game with a single, but Goebel retired the next two hitters on a sacrifice and a ground out before the Redbirds (18-23, 8-10) put together a two-out rally.  Following a walk to catcher Kevin Dubler, the next four Redbird hitters knocked out base hits, including a two-run double by Kyle O'Brien and an infield single by No. 9 hitter Mike Tokarski that finally chased Goebel.

Bolt greeted Wright with a double down the right field line for a 6-0 Redbirds lead, but the Bradley reliever got Collin Salzenstein to foul out to end the rally.  Left fielder Ryan Anetsberger drilled a home run to lead off the second inning, but Wright bounced back to retire 10 straight and 15 of the next 16 Redbird hitters until tiring in the seventh.

Designated hitter Peter Malinowski, who came into the game hitting .188, played a key role in Bradley's rally, beginning with his leadoff single in the bottom of the third for Bradley's first hit.  He eventually scored on Paul Rice's single through the left side, pulling the Braves to within 7-1.  The Braves continued to chip away at the lead by scoring two more runs in the fifth, one on a balk by Redbird starter Ryan Copeland and the second on a ground out by Brewer.

With Wright tiring in the seventh, the Redbirds were able to push their lead to 8-3 on a sacrifice fly by Jesse Griswold.  After Wright walked the next hitter, Mike Stalowy, to put runners at first and third with two outs, Altbach entered and got O'Brien to ground out to end the inning.

The bottom of the seventh started out innocently enough when Malinowski and Colby Luttrell both grounded out to start the frame, but center fielder Brad Jones started a four-run rally with a double down the left field line.  Brewer followed with an RBI single to chase Copeland and pull the Braves within 8-4.  Jim Sajewich relieved, but immediately gave up a single to Rice and a walk to Ryan Curry to load the bases.  Ryan Eigsti followed with a two-run single to right field, and with runners at first and third, first baseman Mike McMillan stunned the Redbird defense with a bunt single to plate Curry and pull the Braves within 8-7.

After Altbach retired the side in order in the top of the eighth, two on strikeouts, the Braves completed the big comeback in the eighth.  Malinowski started the rally by legging out a double to left centerfield.  After the Redbirds brought in O'Brien from left field to relieve Sajewich, Luttrell tied the game by plating pinch-runner Andrew Eggers with a double into the right field corner.  Jones moved Luttrell to third with a sacrifice bunt and Brewer put the Braves on top with a double off the base of the wall in left center.

Having improved to 8-1 to start a season-long 10-game home stand, the Braves will complete the run at O'Brien Field with the final non-conference home game of the year Tuesday by hosting Robert Morris (Ill.) in a 1 p.m. contest.  Admission is free to all midweek non-conference home games.