PEORIA, Ill. ? Bradley collected three hits in each game of its midweek non-conference doubleheader, but managed a split with Northern Illinois in the Braves home debut of the 2009 season Wednesday at O'Brien Field.  BU (6-12 overall) scored three runs on three hits to win the first game 3-2, but the Huskies rallied for 10 hits in the nightcap to top the Braves 5-1.

Freshman pitcher Jacob Booden (Vernon Hills, Ill./Libertyville) picked up the victory for the Braves in the opener, scattering six hits over six and one-third innings.  Booden struck out four and walked none to earn his first collegiate victory (1-2).  Senior Bryan Porter (Rolling Meadows, Ill./Rolling Meadows) picked up first save, throwing two-thirds of an inning of scoreless relief.    

After back-to-back hit batters to open the top of the  third inning and a wild pitch, Northern Illinois (9-13 overall) scored the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Joe Buonavolanto.  The Huskies added another run on a wild pitch as Alex Beckmann raced home to give NIU a 2-0 lead.

Bradley got one run back in the bottom half of the third.  Senior Tommy Fitzgerald (Lenexa, Kan./Mill Valley) ripped a one-out triple to right center, which fell out of the glove of a diving Jordin Hood when he hit the ground, to get things started for the Braves.   Bradley got on the board when sophomore Rob Elliott (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) drove in Fitzgerald from third with a sacrifice fly to left field.

The Braves tied the game at 2-2 with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning.  Senior Nick Mitidiero (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and stole second.  Mitidiero moved to third on a deep fly ball hit by senior Colby Luttrell (Kincaid, Ill./South Fork) and scored on a double in the right field corner by junior Kevin Sullivan (Elmhurst, Ill./York).

Mitidiero helped Bradley take a 3-2 lead in bottom of the sixth.  After a one-out single, Mitidiero stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error on the play.  Back-to-back two-out walks loaded the bases and Mitidiero was able to score on a wild pitch to put BU ahead 3-2.  With a runner on and one out in the seventh, Porter got the next two batters to pop out to close out the 3-2 Bradley victory.

NIU hurler Tom Barry carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning in the second game of the doubleheader before the Braves were finally able to break through.  Fitzgerald, who was 2-for-5 on the day, belted a one-out double to right center in the bottom of the sixth inning for Bradley's first hit of the nightcap.  A balk moved Fitzgerald to third and senior Grant Escue (Washington, Ill./Washington Community) drove in Bradley's only run of the game with a sacrifice fly to center to plate Fitzgerald.

The Huskies scored twice in the top of the third inning.  Jordin Hood had a run-scoring single to left and Joe Etcheverry drove in the second run of the frame when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to give NIU a 2-0 lead.

Hood got things started for Northern Illinois in the top of the fifth as well with a one-out single and stole second.  A single and Etcheverry sacrifice fly drove in Hood to push NIU's lead to 3-0.  The Huskies had a runner on second with two outs when a wild pitch and walk put runners at the corners.  Sam Kapacinskas hit a single up the middle to score one run and Pat Minogue followed with another RBI single to give NIU a 5-0 advantage.

Despite the Braves offensive struggles in the nightcap, the Braves threatened in the bottom of the seventh.  Adam Kimble (Minooka, Ill./Minooka) led off the inning with a double down the line and Mike McMillan (Bloomington, Ill./University) had a one-out pinch-hit single to right center to move Kimble to third base.  Pinch hitter Jim Clayton (Chatham, Ill./Chatham Glenwood) drew a walk to load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate.  Northern Illinois reliever Tom Zelasko induced a ground ball double play to end the game, however, to pick up his first save of the season.

Senior Tyler Thornton (Minier, Ill./Olympia) suffered the loss for Bradley to fall to 1-2 on the year.  Thornton struck out one and walked one as he gave up five hits and two earned runs over four innings.

Bradley returns to action Friday when the Braves open a three-game Missouri Valley Conference series against Wichita State with a 4 p.m. game at O'Brien Field.