April 6, 2025 | Cape Girardeau, MO. | Capaha Field
The Bradley Braves traveled to Cape Girardeau, Missouri to take on the Murray State Racers after the weather caused the teams to move to a neutral site. The Braves lost all three games against the Racers as the bats fell silent, scoring just two runs across the three game series. Bradley's pitching on the other hand took a step in the right direction, keeping the Braves in two out of the three games with some solid work out of the bullpen.
Game 1: Murray State 5, Bradley 0
The Braves struggled in the early parts of game one as they went down 3-0 after the first and were losing 5-0 at the end of the third inning. However, Bradley's pitching locked it down after that, thanks in large part to Eli Lehrman, who threw four scoreless innings while allowing two hits and two walks while striking out five. Mason Breidenbach was one of the few Braves who produced at the plate, hitting 2-for-4 with a double.
Top Performer: Eli Lehrman (4 IP, 0 ER, 5 SO)
Bradley Offense: 3 hits, 1 double, 3 walks
Pitching Grit: 5 runs allowed, 5 earned, 10 strikeouts
Game 2: Murray State 12, Bradley 0
On top of moving locations, Bradley and Murray State also had to play a doubleheader on Monday thanks to the weather. The Braves struggled throughout the game, falling behind 9-0 by the fourth inning. The bats continued to struggle, but Bobby Atkinson had a solid game, going 1-for-2 with a double and a walk. Bradley also had a rough time on the mound, but Jake Pemble helped calm things down after a rough start, throwing 2 ⅔ innings and yielding two runs, none earned, on four hits while walking and striking out one.
Top Performer: Bobby Atkinson (1-for-2, 1 double, 1 walk)
Bradley Offense: 3 hits, 2 walks, 1 double
Pitching Grit: 12 runs allowed, 10 earned, 3 strikeouts
Game 3: Murray State 3, Bradley 2
The Braves began to turn things around in the second half of the doubleheader but failed to complete the comeback. Bradley gave up one in the first and two in the fourth to go down 3-0. Cole Smith started the comeback in the fifth with an RBI double and Dominic Anselmo brought the game to within one in the eighth with an RBI single, but the Braves left Mason Breidenbach on second in the top of the ninth to lose 3-2. Gavin Thompson had a phenomenal performance in relief, pitching five innings, allowing no runs and no hits while walking one, hitting one, and striking out five.
Top Performer: Gavin Thompson (5 IP, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 walk, 5 SO)
Bradley Offense: 10 hits, 2 runs, 3 doubles
Pitching Grit: 3 runs allowed, 3 earned, 6 strikeouts
Looking Ahead
Bradley will come home Wednesday, April 9, to take on the Western Illinois Leathernecks, beginning a four-game homestand.
