LAKELAND, Fla. - Luck was not shining on Bradley on St. Patrick's Day as Nebraska-Omaha (7-14) hung on for a 4-3 victory against the Braves (10-6-1) at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational Saturday evening at Henley Park.

UNO designated hitter Brandon Winkelmann was 1-for-3 with three runs batted in and Caleb Palensky hit a home run to help the Mavericks earn their fourth consecutive victory and halt Bradley's season-best 4-game winning streak.

Making his first career start, Bradley freshman Stephen Toma (0-1) struggled with his control as he surrendered three runs in 2.1 innings.  After Toma retired the first two hitters of the game, the Mavericks loaded the bases on a base hit, a walk and a Bradley error.  Toma then hit Winkelmann with a pitch to force in the game's first run.

Toma then walked Palensky and hit Alex Mortensen with a pitch with one out in the third inning to end his day.  Reliever Patrick Flanagan allowed the runners to advance on a wild pitch before Winkelemann delivered a 2-run double for a 3-0 UNO lead.

Bradley got two runs back in the bottom of the third when designated hitter Greg Partyka and center fielder Max Murphy connected on consecutive 2-out, RBI singles.

Palensky's homer leading off the fifth stretched UNO's advantage to 4-2 and the lead held thanks in part to a strong throw home from the outfield and a lucky break in the home half of the fifth.

Catcher Derek Sprout led off the fifth with an infield single and advanced to second on an errant throw by the UNO shortstop.  With one out, Murphy singled, but Mavericks rightfielder Mark Waldron gunned down Sprout at the plate as Murphy continued on to second.  Bradley rightfielder Bob Schuch smashed a line drive base hit just to the left of second base, but the ball drilled the umpire in the leg, forcing an immediate deadball that required the speedy Murphy to remain at second rather than make another attempt to score.  The Mavericks escaped the inning when reliever Cole Volkers struck out Jerrod Eigsti.

Partyka's RBI double in the seventh pulled Bradley to within 4-3, but that was all the scoring the Braves could manage off Volkers (3-0), who gave up only two hits in his 4.1 innings to close out the win.

Despite Saturday's loss, Bradley went 5-2-1 during the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.  The Braves will make their 2012 home debut Wednesday when they host Illinois-Chicago in a 6 p.m. game at O'Brien Field, before returning to the road for the first Missouri Valley Conference series of the season next weekend at Southern Illinois.

NOTES:  Murphy was 2-for-4 Saturday, extending his hitting streak to a team season-high 11 games ... Murphy has reached safely via a hit or walk in all 17 games this season ... Bradley outhit UNO, 12-7, suffering its first loss when outhitting the opposition this season ... Bradley was 9-0 this season when holding the opposition to fewer than six runs and 6-0 in games decided by one run.