PEORIA, Ill. - Shortstop Tyler Leffler was 3-for-4 with two doubles, including a go-ahead two-bagger in the seventh inning, lifting Bradley (23-9) to a 5-4 win against #14 Iowa (23-10) Tuesday night at Dozer Park.
Following a 5-2 victory March 25 in Iowa City, Bradley completes a regular-season, home-and-home sweep against the Big 10 Conference leaders. The Braves, who ended then No. 16 Dallas Baptist's nation-leading 17-game home winning streak with an 11-6 win Saturday, have won consecutive games against nationally-ranked opposition for the first time since taking the first two games in a series against #30 Wichita State April 18-19, 2003 at Dozer Park
In addition to his work at the plate, Leffler kept the potential tying run at third base in the eighth inning by ranging deep into the hole between short and third to keep a 2-out single by Kris Goodman on the infield. Closer Matt Dennis got leadoff hitter Eric Toole to fly out to end the eighth, then worked around a one-out single in the ninth to lock down his sixth save of the year.
Bradley got off to a fast start by taking a 3-0 lead in the second inning on Isaac Smith's 3-run blast to left center, his fourth home run of the season. After leaving the bases loaded in the first inning, the Braves continued to strand runners after Smith's bomb, however, again failing to capitalize on a bases-loaded situation in the fourth and stranding runners in the fifth in sixth innings.
Iowa took advantage of the opening and tied the game with two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth before pinch-hitter John Barrett delivered a 2-out, go-ahead RBI double in the sixth.
It appeared the Hawkeyes might add to the lead in the seventh after Bradley reliever David Koll (2-0) surrendered consecutive 1-out walks, but the senior lefty rebounded with back-to-back strikeouts to escape the jam.
Bradley's seventh-inning rally started when Spencer Gaa legged out an infield single. After advancing to second on an Elliot Ashbeck sacrifice and third on a Drew Carlile fly out, Gaa tied the game, 4-4, on Drew Carlile's 2-out single up the middle. Leffler followed with his go-ahead double down the left field line that brought Carlile all the way around from first.
Bradley will shoot for a third straight win Wednesday at Northern Illinois, before returning home to start a 7-game home stand, beginning with a weekend series against perennial Missouri Valley Conference power Wichita State. The series against the Shockers will begin with a 6 p.m. first pitch Friday night at Dozer Park.
