PEORIA, Ill. - Through the first 15 innings of the weekend Missouri Valley Conference series at O'Brien Field, Southern Illinois had managed only four singles and not advanced a runner to second base.  That all changed in the seventh inning Saturday as the Salukis (18-28, 8-6 MVC) erupted for 11 runs on 13 hits in their final three innings to pull even in the series with Bradley (21-23, 3-11 MVC) by taking an 11-4 win.

After Bradley hurler Joe Bircher blanked the Salukis on two singles in Friday's 9-0 Braves victory, junior lefty Tory Doerr was putting up a similar effort Saturday by allowing only two singles through six scoreless innings. 

But with the Braves leading 4-0 to start the seventh, the wheels fell off.  Designated hitter Austin Montgomery became the first SIU hitter to reach second base in the series when he ripped a double off the left field fence to open the seventh.  Brock Harding followed with SIU's first walk of the series and Jordan Siverston ended Doerr's day with an RBI single through the right side of the Bradley infield.

Bradley reliever Danny Gifford (3-5) took over and got the inning's first out on a Nick Johnson sacrifice, but Blake Pinnon followed with a 2-run double to left field to pull the Salukis within 4-3.  Jake Welch followed with a line drive off Gifford for an infield single, and after a walk loaded the bases, SIU drew even when Chris Murphy lofted a sacrifice fly to left.  Another walk to load the bases ended Gifford's appearance and lefty reliever Nick Gross gave up a go-ahead, 2-run single to Montgomery before finally getting out of the inning.

SIU starter Cody Forsythe (7-3) rolled into the game with a 4-0 record and 0.90 ERA in conference action, but the Braves touched him for four runs, two earned, on eight hits in the first five innings.  Bradley had a chance to stretch their 4-0 lead in the fifth, but with a run already in and runners at first and second with one out, Forsythe got a Brian Martin ground out and caught first baseman Derek Sprout looking to end the threat.

Starting with Martin's ground out, Forsythe retired nine straight Bradley hitters until Martin singled with one out in the eighth and the Salukis leading 8-4.

Bradley's centerfielder, Martin finished the game 3-for-4 and is 5-for-8 in the first two games of the series.  Although he did not get a hit Saturday, third baseman Rob Elliott stole two more bases, pushing his league-leading total to 27 steals on the season.

In addition to his 2-run double in the seventh, Pinnon added a 2-run home run in the eighth and a 2-run single in the ninth to finish 4-for-5 with six runs batted in.

Bradley sophomore right-hander John Nasshan (2-5) will start Sunday's noon series finale at O'Brien Field.  The Braves will wear pink uniforms in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness on Mother's Day.