May 6, 2025 | Urbana-Champaign, IL. | Illinois Field
Bradley Baseball fought hard against the Fighting Illini on Tuesday but ultimately lost 6-4 after a three-run seventh gave Illinois the lead.

Game Recap: Bradley 4, Illinois 6

The Braves kept it close early in the game, as Cole Smith drilled a homer to right field in the top of the first to give Bradley a 1-0 lead. Illinois scored one in the first and third to take the lead. The Braves tied it up in the top of the fourth on a Nick Hosie solo shot, but the Fighting Illini took the lead back in the bottom of the fourth. Bradley tied it up for the final time in the sixth when Bobby Atkinson scored on a wild pitch. Illinois scored three in the seventh, and despite the attempted rally in the eighth, when Beau Durbin hit an RBI single, the Braves lost 6-4. Cole Smith went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, an RBI, a walk, and a run scored. Reece Clapp pitched two scoreless innings in relief while striking out three.

Top Performer: Cole Smith (2-for-4, 1 HR, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 RBI)

Bradley Offense: 4 runs, 5 hits, 3 walks

Pitching Grit: 6 runs allowed, all earned, 10 strikeouts

Looking Ahead
The Braves will play their final home games of the season this weekend as they take on the Valparaiso Beacons in a three-game weekend series.