WICHITA, Kan. -- Bradley drew first blood, but third-seeded Creighton (36-19) scored 14 unanswered runs, highlighted by an 9-run sixth inning, en route to a 14-2 victory in eight innings in the second game of the 2008 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Wednesday afternoon at Eck Stadium. 

Bradley (26-27) will try to end its first four-game losing streak in three years and avoid elimination from the tournament when the sixth-seed Braves face No. 4 seed UNI, a 5-3 loser to Southern Illinois in Wednesday's tournament opener, at 7 o'clock tonight.  Creighton will face No. 2 seed Missouri State in Thursday's 11 a.m. game.

Bradley starter Chris Wright (3-7) struck out six and allowed only two hits through the first five innings before Creighton's sixth-inning outburst.  Wright ended up allowing six runs, five earned, on five hits.  Ambidextrous reliever Pat Venditte (8-3) got the win in relief after getting out of an inherited, bases-loaded jam in the top of the sixth and working around a 2-out hit in the seventh.

The Braves got off to a quick start in the top of the first when Grant Escue laced his team-leading 17th double of the year into right centerfield and Dan Brewer was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second with out in front of designated hitter Colby Luttrell.  The team's RBI leader delivered by shooting a 2-run double just over the outstretched glove of Creighton leftfielder Joe Servais in the gap for a 2-0 Bradley lead.

The Bluejays immediately pulled to within 2-1 in the bottom of the first, aided by Bradley's troubles at the plate.  After Robbie Knight led off the bottom of the first with a soft liner, Wright struck out Elliot Soto swinging, but the ball got away from catcher Nick Mitidiero for a passed ball that allowed Soto to reach first.  Soto then advanced a pair of bases on separate wild pitches and when Mitidiero threw wildly to third on the second one, the Bluejay shortstop trotted home with an unearned run.

Creighton got its first hit when right fielder Nick Nordgren hit his first triple of the season on the first pitch of the third inning.  Wright recorded his fourth strike out by fanning No. 9 hitter Michael Lam, but Robbie Knight tied the game, 2-2, with a sacrifice fly.

Bradley started a 2-out rally in the sixth when Mitidiero walked, Brumleve followed with a single to left and Fritz drew a 9-pitch walk to load the bases and chase Creighton starter Jeremy Hauer.  Venditte relieved and got Fitzgerald to line out to centerfield on his second pitch to maintain the 2-2 tie.

While Bradley could not capitalize on its 2-out rally in the top of the sixth, Creighton came through in a big way in the bottom of the inning.  Soto got things started with a one-out line drive that glanced off first baseman Grant Escue's glove and Darin Ruf followed with a walk to put runners at first and second with one out.  Wright got Winkelmann to hit a ground ball, but the ball squirted between shortstop and third and turned into a go-ahead RBI double when it hit off Fitzgerald's glove.  Cafaro followed with a run-scoring single to left for a 4-2 Creighton lead, ending Wright's day.

Tyler Thornton relieved with one out and runners at the corners and served up a ground rule double to Mieras that increased the Creighton advantage to 5-2.  After getting Servais to pop out, Thornton hit Nordgren with a pitch to load the bases,  setting the table for Lam, who broke the game open with a 3-run double down the left field line.  Knight plated Lam with a sharp single to left for a 9-2 lead, forcing the Braves to go the bullpen again.  Brad Altbach relieved and hit Soto with his second offering, then surrendered consecutive RBI singles to Ruf and Winkleman as the Creighton lead ballooned to 11-2.  Cafaro drew a walk to again load the bases before Mieras hit into a fielder's choice to finally end the inning.

The Bluejays ended the game early in the eighth inning, due to the league's 10-run rule after seven innings, when pinch-hitter Tyler Roemmich skyed a 3-run homer to right field for the final 14-2 margin.