SPRINGFIELD, Mo. ? Missouri State third baseman Brayden Drake was 3-for-4 with a home run and four runs batted in and the host Bears (9-10, 1-0 MVC) roughed up Bradley starter Collin Brennan (0-2) en route to an 8-3 victory against the Braves (5-0, 0-1 MVC) Friday night at Hammons Field in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams.

Bradley spotted Brennan a 2-0 lead before he took the mound, thanks to a 2-run single by senior designated hitter Adam Kimble, but the Bears answered with three runs in the bottom of the first to take a lasting lead  Drake tied things up with a 2-run double, and after taking third on a throw home, scored the go-ahead run on a ground out by right fielder Chris Playter.

Missouri State scored in each of the first four innings to build an 8-2 lead.  Catcher Dallas Hord drew a leadoff walk in the second, stole second and came around to score when his counterpart, Brett Hendricks, threw wildly on the throw to second.  Drake led off the third with a solo home run and center fielder Aaron Conway hit a solo homer with one out in the fourth to start another 3-run rally.  Drake chased Brennan with an RBI single later in the fourth, then with runners at the corners and one out, Playter hit into a fielder's choice to bring home Missouri State's final run.

Senior right-hander Tyler Thornton relieved Brennan in the fourth and kept the Bears off the scoreboard by allowing only one hit in his 4.2 innings of work.

The Braves offense could not get going again against Missouri State starter Tim Clubb (1-1), however.  Although the Braves did work Clubb for eight hits, they could not get on the board again until Colby Luttrell's one out, bases loaded sacrifice fly in the eighth inning.  Brant Combs worked around a hit batter and single in the ninth to close out the game.

Kimble reached base in all four of his plate appearances, going 2-for-2 with two walks.  Sophomore third baseman Rob Elliott went 3-for-5 in his second game back from a hamstring injury, while senior first baseman Grant Escue and senior center fielder Nick Mitidiero both went 2-for-4.  The rest of the Bradley lineup, however, was 0-for-17.

The teams will resume the weekend series with a 2 p.m. game Saturday at Hammons Field, then will close out the 3-game set with a 1 o'clock game Sunday afternoon.