PHOENIX, Arix. – North Dakota State pushed a run across in the bottom of the eighth to tie Bradley 3-3, but the Braves struck for five runs in the top of the 10th to top the Bison 8-3 in extra innings Saturday afternoon.

Despite collecting just three hits in the first nine innings of the contest, Bradley carried a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth before North Dakota State struck for a run to pull even at 3-3.  Both teams squandered scoring opportunities in the ninth, stranding a runner at third as the teams went to extra innings. 

Bradley (2-0 overall) loaded the bases in the top of the 10th with a pair of singles and walk to open the inning and junior Chris Gondinez plated the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly.  Sophomore Spencer Gaa singled to load the bases again and junior Tyler Leffler drove in two more runs with a single to center to put the Braves ahead 6-3.  Freshman Ian Kristan drove in another run with a single to right and junior Paul Solka made it an 8-3 Bradley lead with a run-scoring single to left. 

Sophomore Matt Dennis was strong out of the bullpen, giving up just one earned run in 4.2 innings in relief to earn the victory.  Junior Steve Adkins struck out six and walked one in 5.1 innings in his first start of the year. 

The Braves got on the board first in the top of the second on a two-run homer off the bat of sophomore Evan Gruener to take a 2-0 lead.

North Dakota State cut the Bradley lead in half at 2-1, scoring on a balk and two wild pitches after Paul Funk led off the inning with a single. 

Both teams struck for runs in the sixth, with Leffler driving in a run for Bradley with a sacrifice fly in the top half of the inning.  North Dakota State's Mason Pierzchalski, who had a run-scoring single in the bottom of the sixth, tied the game at 3-3 with a RBI single in the bottom of the eighth.

Leffler drove in three of Bradley's eight runs on the day, while Gaa had a multi-hit day with a 2-for-5 effort to help lead the Braves offensively.  

Bradley closes out its season-opening trip to Arizona Sunday with an 11 a.m. (CST) game at Grand Canyon.