SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Left fielder Keenen Maddox was 4-for-5 with 3 runs batted in and reserve first baseman Dylan Becker came off the bench to go 3-for-3 with four runs batted in, leading Missouri State (23-11, 8-3 MVC) to a 12-2 win against Bradley (12-21, 1-10 MVC) Saturday afternoon at Hammons Field.

Combined with Wichita State's 6-3  loss to Evansville Saturday, Missouri State has climbed back into a tie for first in the Missouri Valley Conference standings.

Freshman right-hander Jonathan Harris improved to 8-0 on the year by limiting the Braves to two  unearned runs on three hits in 7.0 innings.  After touching Bradley starter Brent Stong (4-2) for five runs, four earned, in 4.0 innings, Missouri State ended the game an inning early with a 6-run eighth against reliever Patrick Flanagan.

Maddox put Missouri State on the board with an RBI double in the first inning and added an run-scoring single in a 3-run third inning that gave the Bears a 4-0 lead.

Missouri State stretched the lead to 5-0 with a run in the fifth, before Bradley closed the gap with two runs in the sixth.  After loading the bases with one out on a walk, error and infield single, the Braves scored their first run on a Harris wild pitch.  Max Murphy brought in the second run with an RBI groundout.

The Bears got one run back in the bottom of the sixth, then broke the game open in the eighth, invoking the league's 10-run run on a Becker's walk-off grand slam.

The teams will conclude the 3-game series with a 1 p.m. game Sunday at Hammons Field.