PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley left fielder Brad Kimball was 3-for-5 with a home run and four runs batted in, but it was not enough to prevent Illinois State (24-10, 4-2 MVC) from completing the weekend sweep against the Braves (19-15, 1-5 MVC) with a 12-7 win Sunday afternoon at O'Brien Field.

The Redbirds used five consecutive 2-out, RBI base hits to score six runs in the sixth inning and break open a tight game.

In his first game as Bradley's leadoff hitter this year, third baseman Rob Elliott was 2-for-3 with a hit by pitch, a walk, two stolen bases and two runs scored.  He gave the Braves the quick, 1-0 lead in the first inning when he drew was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a 2-out Kimball single.

After Illinois State evened the score with a run in the second and took its first lead, 3-1, with two runs in the third, Bradley tied the score in the home half of the third when shortstop Jason Leblebijian hit a 2-out double and scored on Kimball's towering home run to left field, his team-leading fourth dinger of the year.

The Redbirds took the lead for good, 5-3, with two runs in the fifth, but Elliott and Kimball combined to cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fifth.  Elliott walked, stole second and scored on Kimball's 2-out single to right.

Bradley closer Justin Ziegler (2-2) suffered the loss by giving up a pair of unearned runs in the fifth.  In his longest outing of the season, 3.1 innings, Ziegler walked the first two hitters in the sixth before retiring the next two Redbird hitters.  He then surrendered the first four of Illinois State's five consecutive 2-out hits.

Reeling from its longest losing streak of the season, four games, Bradley will try to regain its early-season momentum with a non-conference game Wednesday at 6 p.m. against SIU Edwardsville at O'Brien Field.  The Braves earned an 8-2 win March 23 in the first half of the home-and-home season series.  The season-long 8-game home stand will continue next weekend with a 3-game Valley set against Evansville:  Friday and Saturday games at 7 p.m. and the Sunday finale at 1 o'clock.