AUBURDALE, Fla. - Junior right-hander Patrick Cooper (Danville, Ky./Des Moines Area C.C./Boyle County H.S.) pitched 6.0 strong innings for Bradley, but allowed three runs in the bottom of the fifth as NJIT clipped the Braves 4-2 at Lake Myrtle Park Wednesday morning.

Bradley and NJIT were locked in a scoreless pitchers dual until the bottom of the fifth when the Highlanders plated three runs on four hits, including a two-run single by James D'Aloia. NJIT nearly added a fourth run in the inning, but freshman right fielder Christian Segar (Mendon, N.Y./McQuaid Jesuit H.S.) threw out Kyle McCarthy at the plate for the final out of the fifth.

An RBI groundout by freshman catcher Mike Falsetti (Elmwood Park, Ill./Fenwick H.S.) put Bradley on the scoreboard in the sixth, but the Highlanders added an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth to make it a 4-1 game.

The Braves opened the ninth with a single and back-to-back walks to load the bases for sophomore infielder Rob Elliott (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley H.S.). Elliott's RBI groundout to second made the score 4-2 and put two runners in scoring position, but Bradley's next two batters could not come up with the game-tying hit.

Elliott and freshman outfielder Mike Tauchman (Palatine, Ill./William Fremd H.S.) each had two hits in the game, while Cooper (0-2) took the loss on the mound for the Braves.

Bradley (4-8) will return to action Friday, March 19 with a double-header against Army at Henley Field in Lakeland, Fla. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 9 a.m.