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4
Winner Bradley BRAD 24-9
3
Illinois ILL 24-12
Winner
Bradley BRAD
24-9
4
Final
3
Illinois ILL
24-12
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 R H E
Bradley BRAD 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 5 1
Illinois ILL 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 7 1

W: Johnson, Boby (1-1) L: Gerber, Joey (0-1)

Baseball Final at Illinois

Baseball Downs Illinois in Extras, 4-3

Freshman Keaton Rice drove in three runs, including the go-ahead score in the 11th inning, for Bradley's seventh straight win

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Game Recap: Baseball | | Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications
Bradley 4, at Illinois 3 – 11 innings
 
CHAMPAIGN, IL – Freshman catcher Keaton Rice drove in three runs, including the game-winner with a 2-out single in the 11th inning, leading Bradley (24-9) to its seventh consecutive win, a 4-3 victory at Illinois (24-12) Tuesday night at Illinois Field.
 
In a game featuring two of the top hitting squads in the country, pitching dominated much of the night.  The Braves did manage to push across single runs in the first, second and third innings, before Illini reliever Ryan Schmitt shut the door by retiring all 10 batters he faced. The Illinois bullpen did not allow another run until the 11th inning.
 
Bradley starter Mitch Janssen did not allow a hit in his first 3.0 innings, before Illinois finally broke through for its first hit and run in the fourth.  Continuing to scratch away, the Illini added single runs in the fifth and eighth, the latter on Bren Spillane's RBI double down the right field line.
 
 
The Illini threatened to push across the go-ahead run after Spillane's double also put runners at second and third with one out, but the Braves got defensive gems from first baseman Luke Mangieri and right fielder Jean-Francois Garon to keep the score tied, 3-3.
 
Spillane, who entered the game batting .452 with 16 home runs and 45 RBI's in 32 games, got a second crack at Johnson with a runner at first and two outs in the 10th, but Johnson got a line out to center field to extend the game.
 
Andy Shadid got Bradley's 11th-inning rally started with a leadoff single, but after he took second on a wild pitch, the momentum began to slip away.  Shadid was thrown out a third trying to advance on a Dan Bolt sacrifice bunt attempt.  Garon followed with a strikeout, but another wild pitch put Bolt in scoring position for Rice.
 
Reliever Boby Johnson, who surrendered Spillane's tying double on his first pitch of the night, battled through the final 3.2 innings to earn the win.  After getting Spillane to line out to end the 10th, Johnson worked a perfect 11th inning, capped by third baseman Brendan Dougherty's web gem – a sliding catch in foul territory against the fence on the far side of the Illinois dugout.
 
Bradley returns to action Wednesday with another road game, a 3 p.m return contest at Chicago State.  Bradley dealt the Cougars a 16-1 defeat in seven innings in its home opener March 21 at Dozer Park.
 
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Players Mentioned

Dan Bolt

#35 Dan Bolt

OF
6' 0"
Sophomore
L/R
Brendan Dougherty

#26 Brendan Dougherty

IF
6' 2"
Sophomore
L/R
Jean-Francois Garon

#37 Jean-Francois Garon

OF
6' 3"
Junior
R/R
Mitch Janssen

#21 Mitch Janssen

RHP
6' 3"
Junior
R/R
Luke Mangieri

#17 Luke Mangieri

IF
6' 3"
Junior
L/R
Andy Shadid

#7 Andy Shadid

OF
6' 0"
Junior
R/R
Keaton Rice

#15 Keaton Rice

C
6' 1"
Freshman
L/R
Boby Johnson

#22 Boby Johnson

RHP
6' 1"
Junior
R/R

Players Mentioned

Dan Bolt

#35 Dan Bolt

6' 0"
Sophomore
L/R
OF
Brendan Dougherty

#26 Brendan Dougherty

6' 2"
Sophomore
L/R
IF
Jean-Francois Garon

#37 Jean-Francois Garon

6' 3"
Junior
R/R
OF
Mitch Janssen

#21 Mitch Janssen

6' 3"
Junior
R/R
RHP
Luke Mangieri

#17 Luke Mangieri

6' 3"
Junior
L/R
IF
Andy Shadid

#7 Andy Shadid

6' 0"
Junior
R/R
OF
Keaton Rice

#15 Keaton Rice

6' 1"
Freshman
L/R
C
Boby Johnson

#22 Boby Johnson

6' 1"
Junior
R/R
RHP