Bradley Baseball On This Date: March 25

In place of the scheduled 2020 home opener, The Hotels at Grand Prairie takes a look back at this date in Bradley Baseball history

Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications Baseball 3/25/2020 4:00:00 PM

PEORIA, IL – Bradley Baseball was scheduled to open its 2020 home schedule tonight against Western Illinois at Dozer Park, but without a game to report upon in this abbreviated season, The Hotels at Grand Prairie presents a March 25 On-This-Date flashback.

2016 | Bradley 16, Western Michigan 5
WESTFIELD, IN - Bradley tied the single-game school record with eight doubles among a season-high 18 base hits and the Braves (10-7) rolled to a 16-5 win against Western Michigan (6-13) Friday night at Grand Park.

Braves first baseman Paul Solka led Friday's offensive outburst by also tying the single-game individual record with three doubles in ihs 4-for-7 performance. Bradley's eight doubles as a team equalled the record originally set at Wichita State May 17, 1996 and Solka became the 20th Brave to bang out three two-baggers, the first since teammate Spencer Gaa versus Illinois-Chicago April 30, 2014.

The Braves twice batted around during 5-run innings, the fifth and the ninth, and all 15 players to get a plate appearance either scored or drove in a run Friday.

The offensive support was more than enough for Bradley starter Matt Dennis (W, 4-1), who earned his fourth consecutive win by pitching 6.2 strong innings. Dennis scattered six hits and struck out seven. Although Dennis was charged with four runs, only two were earned.

2015 | Bradley 5, at Iowa 2
IOWA CITY, IA - Designated hitter Elliot Ashbeck was 2-for-4 with a go-ahead RBI double in the fifth inning and five Bradley pitchers held host Iowa in check as the Braves (17-5) set the school record for the most wins before their home opener with a 5-2 victory against the Hawkeyes (14-6) Wednesday afternoon at Duane Banks Field.

Bradley, which improved to 8-3 in its 11 games against the Big 10 Conference since the start of the 2011 season, won its third straight series road game against the Hawkeyes. Bradley's 17 wins are the most in the program's 115-year history before playing its first home game of the season, eclipsing the 1987 team's 16-7 start on the way to a final 41-21 record. The Braves, who began the day No. 5 in the RPI rankings, will host Missouri Valley Conference rival Southern Illinois in a 3-game series at Dozer Park Friday (6 p.m.), Saturday (2 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.).

Freshman right-hander Jordan Fedro turned in his second straight solid start and was credited with the win in a game that saw 13 pitchers from both teams toe the rubber. Fedro (2-0) worked around five hits, allowing one run with two walks and a strikeout. Four Bradley relievers combined to allow just one run on five hits with a walk and six strikeouts to close out the win.

Ashbeck was one of four Braves to deliver multiple hits as Carson Weber (2-5), Paul Solka (2-4) and Ian Kristan (2-3) all picked up two hits and an RBI.

Isaac Smith led off the decisive fifth inning with a walk against Iowa's fourth pitcher, Brandon Shulista (1-2), who was in position to escape the inning with no damage after getting a ground ball and strikeout against Bradley's next two hitters. Ashbeck came through with his fourth double of the season and Solka, who tripled and scored in the second, followed with a RBI single to plate would proved to be the deciding run. Solka also was hit by a pitch and scored the final run in the seventh on a Kristan double.

2011: at Bradley 9, Purdue 4
PEORIA, IL - Designated hitter Brad Kimball hit a 2-run double and second baseman Jerrod Eigsti followed with a 2-run single to a key a 4-run seventh inning outburst that launched Bradley (14-6) to its fifth consecutive win, a 9-4 decision against Purdue (14-8) in the home opener for the Braves Friday evening at O'Brien Field.

Bradley starting pitcher Joe Bircher (3-2) got off to a rocky start by allowing a pair of first-inning runs, but settled down to earn the win by tossing seven strong innings in the opening game of a 3-game weekend series. Bircher scattered six hits and struck out three, while allowing four runs, three earned, in his 7.0 innings. Junior right-hander Danny Gifford kept the Boilermakers off the board in the final two innings to nail down the victory.

After Purdue forged a 4-4 tie in the top of the seventh on Stephen Talbott's run-scoring single, Bradley struck right back in the home half of the inning. Right fielder Bob Schuch drew a leadoff walk against Purdue reliever Blake Mascarello (0-3). Nick Wittgren became Purdue's third pitcher of the day, and after center fielder Brian Martin executed a sacrifice bunt, the Braves loaded the bases on a Rob Elliott walk and a catcher's interference call during Mike Tauchman's at bat.

Kimball gave the Braves the lead for good, 6-4, by ripping a double inside the bag at third base to plate Schuch and Elliott. Eigsti followed with a base hit up the middle to chase Elliott and Tauchman home, pushing the lead to 8-4.

Freshman first baseman Derek Sprout (2-for-4) and Schuch (2-for-3) led Bradley's 10-hit attack, each with a pair of hits. Sprout's single leading off the third was Bradley's first hit of the day and he eventually came around to score on a Martin ground out to get the Braves within 3-1.

Sprout followed Jason Leblebijian's RBI double in the third with a run-scoring two-bagger of his own to pull the Braves even and he scored on an Austin Jarvis single for a 4-3 lead.

2005 | Bradley 6, at Indiana State 2
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Bradley senior left fielder Ryan Kenny delivered the game-winning hit in the seventh inning and senior catcher Brad Canada added three insurance runs with two late-inning hits, leading the Braves (14-4, 1-0) to a 6-2 victory Friday night at Indiana State (9-11, 0-1) in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams.

By overcoming an early 2-1 deficit, Bradley earned its third straight victory and started conference play with a win for the first time since 1996. The modest rally was Bradley's seventh come-from-behind win of the season.

Junior right-hander Brandon Magee improved to 4-1 by earning his fourth consecutive victory since a 2-1 loss in the season-opener Feb. 19. Magee allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits in 7.0 innings. He walked three and struck out four. Sophomore closer Michael Christl earned his third save of the season by tossing two scoreless innings to close the game. In his first year in the closer role, Christl already is tied for third on Bradley's single-season saves list, just one behind co-record holders Ron Hensel (2002) and Curt Hasler (1987).

Bradley took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Canada came home from third on Justin Carr's bases-loaded, ground ball double play. Although Indiana State managed to put runners on base via a hit, a walk and an error in each of the first three innings, Magee faced the minimum through the first three frames, thanks to a pickoff and a pair of double plays.

The Sycamores pulled even in the fourth when leadoff man Chris Schmidt was hit by Magee pitch, advanced to second on a passed ball and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Indiana State moved ahead in the fifth, 2-1, when Tyler Malone followed a 2-out walk to Cory Kral with a run-scoring double down the right field line.

The Braves immediately pulled even in the sixth. Paul Rice led off the sixth with a walk then swiped second, his 11th steal in 12 tries this season. After Canada struck out and Jon Smith popped out, designated hitter Joe Napoli plated Rice with a 2-out single up the middle.

Brad Collins (0-1) relieved Indiana State starter Chris Jones to start the seventh, but the replacement could not keep the Braves from pulling off a 2-out rally. Adam Uscicki drew a 1-out walk, then advanced to second on a Johnny Sage ground ball. Kenny followed with a single deep into the hole at shortstop and Uscicki was able to hustle and beat the throw home to score what proved to be the game-winning run. After Kenny advanced to second on the throw, Canada followed with a single to left to put the Braves up 4-2. Canada added another 2-out single in the ninth to plate two more insurance runs.

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