LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Bradley rode a 7-run fifth inning to an 8-5 victory Saturday afternoon versus Arkansas-Little Rock (2-5) at Gary Hogan Field.  The Braves (4-2) have won the first two games of the weekend set and will go for the series sweep Sunday afternoon.

Sophomore leftfielder Mike Tauchman drove in Bradley's first three runs and sophomore shortstop Jason Leblebijian was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs batted in.  Senior left-hander Eric Holmes (1-0) earned the win by pitching 1.2 innings of relief.

Although the Braves did not get their first hit until the fourth inning, Bradley took a 1-0 lead in the first after senior center fielder Brian Martin walked, stole second, advanced to third on a Rob Elliott ground out and scored on a Tauchman ground out.

The Trojans answered in the third, scoring their first run of the series and the season's first run against Bradley starter Jacob Booden.  Like Martin in the first, shortstop Brock Feldmann drew a leadoff walk, took second on a sacrifice, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Justin Barnes 2-out single.

UALR tacked on a trio of unearned run in the fourth to grab its first lead of the series, 4-1.  Casey McCollum reached on an error to start the inning, advanced to second on a second Booden wild pitch, took third on a ground out and scored when Booden threw wildly on an Austin Atwell come-backer.  Feldman followed with an RBI single to chase the Bradley starter.

Holmes relieved Booden with one out, but after freshman catcher Austin Jarvis threw out Feldmann trying to steal, the Trojans got a 2-out double by Cameron Bently and an RBI single Jason Houston for their fourth run.

The Braves came right back in the top of the fifth, loading the bases with one out on a Bob Schuch single, a Martin hit-by-pitch and an Elliott infield single.  Tauchman followed with a 2-run single that also brought home Elliott when Bentley booted the ground ball in center field and chased Trojans starting pitcher Daniel Golden.  Bradley reclaimed the lead, 5-4, when freshman designated hitter Greg Partyka greeted reliever Travis Henke with an RBI single to right.

After second baseman Jerrod Eigsti flied out and Sprout walked, Leblebijian delivered a 2-out, 2-run double and Jarvis tacked on an RBI single to make it a 7-run outburst and an 8-4 lead.  The 7-run inning matched Bradley's highest-scoring total from any of the season's first five games (7-5 win versus Dayton in 11 innings Feb. 20).

Following the game's back-and-forth nature, UALR tried to battle back in the sixth, loading the bases with no outs on a leadoff single and consecutive walks from Holmes.  Sophomore right-hander Andy Johnson limited the damage to one run, however, by striking out the first two hitters he faced, before giving up an infield single that pulled the Trojans within 8-5.

Johnson worked two more scoreless innings, before turning the ninth inning over to closer Justin Ziegler, who worked around consecutive leadoff singles to earn his third save of the season.

The teams will conclude their 3-game set with a 1 p.m. game Sunday.  Sophomore right-hander John Nasshan (0-0, 2.57 ERA) is expected to make his second start of the season for the Braves.