CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -- Bradley junior right fielder Colby Luttrell reached base safely in all four of his plate appearances, stole a base and preserved a late tie by throwing out a runner at the plate, but his efforts were not enough to prevent Dayton (5-2) from pulling out a 5-4 victory in the first game of the Governor's Baseball Classic Monday morning at Raymond C. Hand Park.

Bradley (3-4) rallied from an early, 4-0 deficit, tying the score at 4-4 in the bottom of the fifth when Luttrell drew a two-out walk, stole second and scored on Jim Clayton's single to left.

Dayton appeared to be in position to break the game open in the eighth by loading the bases with no outs against Bradley reliever Lendsey Thomson.  But Luttrell, who led the Braves with six outfield assists last season, caught a Scott Dunwoody fly ball and threw out Jimmy Roesinger at the plate to complete a timely double play.  Senior Chris Wright entered and fanned first baseman Marshall MacDonald to preserve the tie.

The score remained tied into the ninth, when the Flyers came through with a 2-out run against Wright (0-1).  Designated hitter Max Navalinski started the game-winning rally with one out when he was hit by a Wright pitch.  After Nevill singled to left, the Flyers executed a double-steal to put runners at second and third with one out.  Navalinski tried to score on a pitch that got away from Bradley catcher Kevin Sullivan, but the Braves backstop recovered and flipped the ball to Wright for the tagout at the plate.  Cole Tyrell followed with an infield single to third, however, bringing Nevill home for the 5-4 lead.

Despite allowing the tying run in the fifth, Dayton reliever Lucas Farden (2-1) picked up the win.  Burny Mitchem worked around a 2-out single by Nick Mitidiero in the ninth to earn his first save of the season.

The Flyers jumped out to a 4-0 lead against Bradley starter Brad Altbach, plating three runs in the second and one more in the third.  Altbach loaded the bases with no outs in the second by giving up a leadoff walk, hitting the second batter, then surrendering a bunt single.  After recording the first out at the plate on a comebacker to the mound, Dayton broke through on center fielder Kevin Miller's sacrifice fly.  Back-to-back run-scoring singles from left fielder Jacob Spaeth and Dunwoody pushed Dayton's lead to 3-0.  Spaeth finished the game 4-for-5.

Dayton third baseman Ryan Nevill doubled and scored in the third to give the Flyers a 4-0 lead.  Nevill ended the game 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and three runs scored.

Bradley began its rally with a three-run fourth inning, which began with a leadoff single from Luttrell.  After working his way to third, Luttrell came home on Tommy Fitzgerald's double to right center.  Catcher Kevin Sullivan brought home Fitzgerald with a single to center.  After advancing to third on a two-out single by center fielder Rob Elliott, Sullivan scored on a balk to pull the Braves within 4-3.

The Braves will wrap up their participation in the Governor's Baseball Classic by facing host Austin Peay this afternoon.  Bradley then will play five games in Bradenton, Fla., beginning Saturday against Vermont, before opening the Missouri Valley Conference portion of its schedule with a three-game series March 21-23 at Evansville.