at Bradley 5, Indiana State 3

PEORIA, IL - Spencer Gaa continued his hot hitting with a go-ahead, RBI single in the second and three Bradley relievers combined to retire Indiana State's final nine batters as the Braves (24-17, 8-7 MVC) opened a weekend Missouri Valley Conference series with a 5-3 win against the Sycamores Friday afternoon at Dozer Park.

Matt Dennis (W 7-3) won his second straight start by working the first 6.0 innings Friday. He allowed three runs, all on Clay Dungan's 3-run home run in the second inning, on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts.

Luke Mangieri gave Bradley a quick 1-0 lead by leading off the home half of the first with his second home run of the season. The lead was short-lived, however, as the Sycamores strung together three consecutive 1-out hits in the second, the last Dungan's line drive shot over the right field wall for his first career home run. The Sycamores advanced only two more runners as far as second base the rest of the game, however.

Bradley quickly reclaimed the lead by plating three runs in the bottom of the second. Right fielder Brady Wilkin tied the game, 3-3, with a 2-run single and he scored the go-ahead run two batters later on Gaa's single through the right side of the infield. Gaa's base hit was Bradley's fourth consecutive 2-out hit off Indiana State starter Ryan Keaffaber (L 4-4) in the second.

The Braves tacked on an insurance run in the sixth after LF Evan Gruener opened the frame with a single to left field. Andy Shadid moved the runner to second with a sacrifice bunt and Gruener took third on a passed ball. With runners at the corners, 2B DJ Gasso dropped down a successful safety squeeze to plate the game's final run. Gasso also kick-started Bradley's second-inning rally with a 2-out, bunt single.

Nathan Stong started the seventh inning on the mound for the Braves and surrendered a single to Sycamores leadoff hitter Andy DeJesus. He recovered by retiring the next three Indiana State hitters on a foul out, a fly out and a strikeout. Freshman LHP Ben Olson worked a perfect eighth inning and sophomore RHP Allan Beer tossed a perfect ninth to lock down his fifth save of the year. Bradley's bullpen had not allowed a hit in 14.2 consecutive home innings before DeJesus broke the string, but the pen extended its home scoreless streak to 25.2 innings over seven games, dating to April 8 against then No. 16 Missouri State.

The series will continue with a 2 p.m. start Saturday at Dozer Park and Sunday's 1 p.m. series finale also will be Bradley's final home game of the 2016 season. The Braves will honor their eight seniors in a pregame ceremony Sunday.