TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Bradley leftfielder Mike Tauchman reached base in all five of his plate appearances and freshman first baseman Derek Sprout put the Braves in front with a 2-run single in the fifth inning, but Indiana State (18-10, 1-0 MVC) took advantage of a trio of late-inning miscues to rally for a 5-3 victory in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams Friday night at Bob Warn Field.

The Braves outhit Indiana State, 8-7, but the visitors committed three errors and fell to 18-10 overall, 0-1 in The Valley.

Bradley starter Joe Bircher worked allowed five hits and four walks in his 5.1 innings of work, but left the game with a 3-2 lead.  Set-up man Danny Gifford (3-2) relieved Bircher with one out and the bases loaded in the sixth, but got out of the jam unscathed by getting a strikeout and foul out to keep the Braves in front.

Gifford could not escape his own trouble in the seventh and eighth innings, however.  After surrendering a leadoff single in the seventh, Gifford's pickoff attempt at first was wild, allowing the runner to advance to third and score on a 1-out sacrifice fly to tie the score, 3-3. 

Gifford hit the leadoff hitter in the eighth and after a sacrifice bunt, shortstop Tyler Wampler drove home the go-ahead run with a single to center.  Wampler advanced to second when Bradley centerfielder Brian Martin failed to come up with the ball cleanly.  After taking third on a groundout, Wampler scored the insurance run on a passed ball.

The Braves tried to rally in the ninth, thanks to a leadoff bunt single by Tauchman and an 1-out walk to second baseman Jerrod Eigsti, but closer Blake Drake got Jason Leblebijian to ground into an game-ending double play.

Tauchman was hit by a pitch in the first, walked in the third, walked and scored in the fifth and doubled in the seventh.

Bradley missed on plenty of scoring chances throughout the game.  The Braves stranded 12 runners and were 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

The teams will resume their 3-game weekend series with a 1 p.m. CST contest Saturday, followed by the series finale Sunday at noon.  Sophomore right-hander John Nasshan (2-2) is expected to start Saturday's game for the Braves, while junior right-hander Jacob Booden (3-0) is Sunday's scheduled starter.