CARBONDALE, Ill. - For the second time in as many games, Bradley (10-9-1, 0-2 MVC) took the early lead, only to see host Southern Illinois (14-9, 2-0 MVC) use the long ball to rally as the Salukis hit three home runs in a 7-2 Missouri Valley Conference baseball victory Saturday afternoon at Abe Martin Field.

Southern Illinois has hit six home runs to take the first two games of the 3-game weekend set and send the Braves to their fourth consecutive loss.

Once again playing in place of the injured Rob Elliott, freshman second baseman Chris Godinez was 2-for-5 with a stolen base and a run scored Saturday.  He put the Braves on the board first when he hit a 1-out single in the third, stole second and scored when Jason Leblebijian followed with a ground ball to third that resulted in a 2-base throwing error.  The Braves had a chance to add to the lead after Austin Jarvis followed with an infield single, but designated hitter Greg Partyka hit into an inning-ending double play.

Bradley pushed the lead to 2-0 in the fourth when center fielder Max Murphy hit a leadoff double, advanced to third on a Bob Schuch single and scored on a Jerrod Eigsti sacrifice bunt.  Salukis starter Cameron Maldonado (3-0) limited the damage, however, by striking out Curtiss Bunch and Andrew Wasmund to end the fourth.

Bradley starter Justin Ziegler (1-2) got through the first four innings without allowing a run by scattering four hits and striking out four.  He got a little help from Wasmund, too, who threw out a runner at the plate to end the third inning.

The Salukis used two singles, a sacrifice bunt and a wild throw from Jarvis behind the plate on a potential inning-ending strikeout to pull even in the bottom of the fifth.

A 2-run home run from Friday hero Jordan Sivertsen gave the Salukis a 4-2 lead and the hosts added leadoff dingers in the seventh and eighth innings to pull away.  Sivertsen also hit what proved to be a game-winning, 2-run home run in the seventh inning of Friday's 6-5 SIU victory.

Bradley will try to avoid the weekend sweep when the teams close out their 3-game league series with a 1 p.m. game Sunday at Abe Martin Field.  Junior right-hander John Nasshan (2-2) is expected to start the series finale for the Braves.

NOTES:  Thanks to his fourth-inning double, Murphy has reached base safely via a hit or a walk in each of Bradley's first 20 games this season ... Eigsti's RBI sacrifice in the fourth inning started a streak of 11 consecutive batters retired by Maldonado ... Wasmund, Bradley's No. 9 hitter, ended the streak with a 2-out single in the seventh ... Bradley had out-homered the opposition, 13-10, in the season's first 18 games, but SIU has out-homered the Braves, 6-1, in the first two games of the series ... Bradley once again played without 2012 leading hitter Rob Elliott and 2011 leading hitter Mike Tauchman as both players continue to nurse hamstring injuries.