PEORIA, Ill. - Wichita State (34-24, 12-7 MVC) belted four home runs and took advantage of a costly error in the top of the ninth inning to escape with an 8-6 victory at Bradley (22-28, 4-15 MVC) in the opening game of the final Missouri Valley Conference series of the season Thursday night at O'Brien Field.

With a forecast for thunderstorms Saturday, the series will wrap up with a doubleheader beginning at 10 a.m. Friday at O'Brien Field.  Bradley will honor its three seniors - centerfielder Brian Martin, designated hitter Brad Kimball and manager David Nelson - in a ceremony between games.

Bradley starting pitcher Joe Bircher entered the game without having surrendered a home run in 90.0 innings this season, but Kevin Hall lined a solo shot over the left field wall with one out in the first inning for a quick 1-0 Wichita State lead.

Facing Shockers ace Charlie Lowell, the Braves scratched out five runs on eight hits through four innings to take a 5-1 lead.  Wichita State used a 2-run home run from Chris O'Brien and a solo blast from Preston Springer in the sixth inning to pull within 5-4.

Bradley third baseman Rob Elliott answered the home run challenge with a solo shot of his own in the bottom of the sixth to push Bradley's lead back to 6-4, but the Shockers tied things up in the eighth on a 2-run homer by Johnny Coy, the fourth of the game against Bircher.

Reliever Danny Gifford (3-6) worked into a bases-loaded, 1-out jam in the ninth, but appeared to escape the inning unscathed when he struck out Hall and got O'Brien to pop up just behind second base.  Shortstop Jason Leblebijian was unable to squeeze the catch, however, allowing the final two runs to score.

Left fielder Mike Tauchman (2-for-4), designated hitter Greg Partyka (2-for-4), infielder Jerrod Eigsti (2-for-4) and Leblebijian (2-for-3) all had two hits as the Braves outhit the Shockers 13-9.  O'Brien, who was named a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award as the nation's top catcher earlier in the day, extended his hitting streak to 22 games with a 3-for-5 performance, while Coy was 2-for-4.