at Bradley 6, Western Illinois 3

PEORIA, IL - Pinch-hitter Carson Weber broke a 3-3 tie with a bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning and 3B Spencer Gaa capped a 3-for-4 night by providing insurance with a 2-run single later in the inning, lifting Bradley (14-9) to a 6-3 win against Western Illinois Tuesday night at Dozer Park.

Both Bradley (2.77) and SS Tyler Leffler (0.64) entered the game leading the nation in doubles per game and the Braves wasted no time adding to their total of 2-baggers when Leffler drove home Gaa with a 1-out double in the first inning.

It appeared the Braves would pad their numbers when freshman CF Andy Shadid led off the second with a double of his own, but Western Illinois quickly turned the momentum. After tying the game in the top of the second, the Leathernecks kept the Braves off the board in the home half when center fielder Nathan Pollock threw out Shadid at the plate on a Luke Mangieri single. Western Illinois made it a double play when catcher Adam McGinnis caught Mangieri trying to advance to second on the play.

After Bradley starting pitcher Ben Olson surrendered a leadoff walk to start the third, the Leathernecks took the lead on a McGinnis RBI double, the extended the lead to 3-1 in the fourth by turning their sixth walk of the game into a run on a Colton Pogue sacrifice fly.

The twin-brother combo of Brent and Nathan Stong (W, 1-0) kept the Western Illinois bats quiet as the duo combined to face the minimum 12 hitters, each with two strikeouts in 2.0 innings of work.

A pair of wind-blown pop ups helped the Braves pull even in the sixth. With runners at first and second and one out, Mangieri blooped a ball over the pitcher's mound. Charging in from his shortstop position, Chris Tschida allowed the ball to roll down his chest for a run-scoring error. Bradley 2B D.J. Gasso followed with a high pop up into shallow right field that fell in between the Leathernecks second baseman and right fielder, allowing the tying run to score.

Bradley loaded the bases with one out in the eighth inning against Leathernecks reliever Colan Borchers (L, 1-1) on an Evan Gruener single, a Shadid hit-by-pitch and a Mangieri walk. Weber replaced Gasso and drew the go-ahead walk after falling into an 0-2 hole. The deciding pitch was borderline and Leathernecks head coach Ryan Brownlee was ejected for arguing the ball-four call on his way to the mound to make a pitching change.

After Brady Wilkin popped up a bunt attempt for the second out, Gaa drove home the insurance runs with a sharp single through the left side of the infield.

Closer Eric Scheuermann worked a perfect ninth inning to secure his fourth save of the year.

Bradley will carry a 4-game winning streak into its first Missouri Valley Conference series of the year, a 3-game weekend set versus #16 Missouri State Friday (6 p.m.), Saturday (noon) and Sunday (noon) at Dozer Park.

NOTES: Bradley 1B Paul Solka entered the game batting .633 (19-30) during a 7-game hitting streak, all with multiple hits, but he was 0-for-3 Tuesday. Solka was hit by a pitch in the third inning and moved into a tie for sixth with Paul Rice on Bradley's all-time list with 29 career HBP's.