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11
Winner Bradley BRAD 32-17
9
Valparaiso VALPO 19-33
Winner
Bradley BRAD
32-17
11
Final
9
Valparaiso VALPO
19-33
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Bradley BRAD 0 3 0 2 2 1 3 0 0 11 13 2
Valparaiso VALPO 2 0 0 0 4 0 2 1 0 9 11 0

W: Gray, Alex (7-0) L: Gordon (2-7) S: Johnson, Boby (5)

Dan Bolt

Baseball Advances in MVC Tourney with 11-9 Win over Valpo

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Game Recap: Baseball |
DALLAS, TX – The Bradley baseball team moved one win away from advancing to the Missouri Valley Conference Championship game after an 11-9 victory against Valparaiso late Thursday night. The Braves improve to 32-17 on the year after the win, while the Crusaders fall into the loser's bracket with a 19-33 record.
 
One night after hitting a season-high four home runs and 19 hits, the Braves added three more long balls to go with 13 hits – scoring 10 or more runs in back-to-back MVC Tournament games for the first time since 1996. Two of the homers came from right fielder Dan Bolt, who doubled his yearly total from two to four home runs. The sophomore finished the night 2-for-3 with a pair of walks and five RBI to lead the Bradley offense.
 
Senior Derek Bangert supplied the team's other home run, while both Andy Shadid and Luke Shadid had a BU-leading three hits on the night.
 
The Crusaders struck first in the contest, successfully getting their first four runners on base and scoring two runs for the early 2-0 edge. Freshman Brooks Gosswein settled in after the strong start by Valpo and retired the next nine batters – needing only 19 total pitches to get through the second and third innings.
 
The Bradley offense then quickly responded to gain its first lead of the contest. Bolt's first home run of the game tied the contest in the second inning before Keaton Rice followed with a double and Luke Shadid a triple for the 3-2 advantage.
 
Bolt made it 2-for-2 in the fourth inning with his second two-run shot for a 5-2 lead. In the fifth frame, Bangert sent a 458-foot homer out of the park for his team-leading ninth long ball of the season, scoring two runs and giving Bradley a 7-2 advantage.
 
The Crusaders, however, would not go away quietly and put together three-straight two-out singles to -score four runs in the bottom of the fifth for a 7-6 contest. Bradley would answer in the sixth with an RBI single from Andrew Ivelia before a three-run seventh extended the lead. The first three Braves reached base in the inning before a bases-loaded walk, sacrifice fly and wild pitch gave BU an 11-6 advantage.
 
Valparaiso answered with two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth but Boby Johnson finished off the Bradley victory with a five-out save – his fifth of the campaign – as BU moved one win away from reaching the championship game.
 
Alex Gray improved to 7-0 with the Bradley win, while Wes Gordon took the loss for Valpo, allowing seven runs in four innings of work.
 
The third-seeded Braves now must win one game in two opportunities to advance to the title game. Second-seeded Dallas Baptist and seventh-seeded Valparaiso battle it out in the loser's bracket with the winner playing Bradley on Friday night at 7:32 p.m.
 
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Players Mentioned

Derek Bangert

#42 Derek Bangert

1B
6' 3"
Senior
R/R
Dan Bolt

#35 Dan Bolt

OF
6' 0"
Sophomore
L/R
Alex Gray

#25 Alex Gray

RHP
6' 3"
Senior
R/R
Andrew Ivelia

#13 Andrew Ivelia

IF
6' 2"
Senior
R/R
Andy Shadid

#7 Andy Shadid

OF
6' 0"
Junior
R/R
Luke Shadid

#10 Luke Shadid

IF
5' 10"
Sophomore
R/R
Keaton Rice

#15 Keaton Rice

C
6' 1"
Freshman
L/R
Boby Johnson

#22 Boby Johnson

RHP
6' 1"
Junior
R/R
Brooks Gosswein

#24 Brooks Gosswein

LHP
6' 1"
Freshman
L/L

Players Mentioned

Derek Bangert

#42 Derek Bangert

6' 3"
Senior
R/R
1B
Dan Bolt

#35 Dan Bolt

6' 0"
Sophomore
L/R
OF
Alex Gray

#25 Alex Gray

6' 3"
Senior
R/R
RHP
Andrew Ivelia

#13 Andrew Ivelia

6' 2"
Senior
R/R
IF
Andy Shadid

#7 Andy Shadid

6' 0"
Junior
R/R
OF
Luke Shadid

#10 Luke Shadid

5' 10"
Sophomore
R/R
IF
Keaton Rice

#15 Keaton Rice

6' 1"
Freshman
L/R
C
Boby Johnson

#22 Boby Johnson

6' 1"
Junior
R/R
RHP
Brooks Gosswein

#24 Brooks Gosswein

6' 1"
Freshman
L/L
LHP