CHILLICOTHE, Ill. -- Bradley baseball head coach Dewey Kalmer inched closer to career victory 1,000, picking up career win number 998 as the Braves broke open a 1-1 tie with four-run innings in the seventh and eighth to top visiting Blackburn College 9-1, Tuesday night at Illinois Valley Central High School.

Blackburn (19-18 overall) struck first, scoring a run in the top of the first inning. Jason Steckel had a one-out single and stole second. He later scored when Mark Hillen ripped a single through the left side of the infield to give the Beavers a 1-0 lead.

Bradley starter Ramie Hamdan gave up a double to Josh Holman, putting runners at second and third with two outs, but Hamdan would pitch out of the jam and retire eight consecutive batters before giving up a walk with one out in the top of the fourth inning. Hamdan pitched five innings, striking out five and walking three while surrendering four hits and one earned run in the no decision.

The Braves (24-16 overall) threatened to score in the bottom of the second inning, loading the bases without recording a hit but were unable to push a run across.

Ryan Curry tripled down the right field line with one out in the bottom of the third inning and scored on a Justin Carr single to right field to tie the game at 1-1.

Peter Malinowski delivered the bit hit to highlight a four-run seventh inning for Bradley. Ryan Curry led off the inning with a walk and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch. Curry came around to score the go-ahead run on a Colby Luttrell single with two runners on that gave the Braves a 2-1 advantage. Malinowski delivered the big blow, ripping a double that almost cleared the fence in right center field to knock in two more runs. Adam Kimble capped the scoring in the inning with a base hit to left field that scored pinch runner Curtis Hornaday as Bradley took a 5-1 lead.

Bradley pushed four more runs across in the bottom half of the eighth inning to take a commanding 9-1 lead. Ryan Eigsti had an RBI single to right field and John Lequia delivered a two-out pinch-hit double that drove home a pair of runs. Pinch runner Andrew Eggers later scored on a wild pitch to give the Braves a 9-1 advantage.

Junior pitcher Eitan Barbalat picked up his first victory of the season, evening his record at 1-1. Babalat struck out three and walked one, while giving up two hits in four scoreless innings of relief work.

Bradley returns to action Wednesday with a single game at Eastern Illinois at 3 p.m. in Charleston, Ill.