NORMAL, Ill. – Bradley Baseball lost the first game of the three-game weekend series on Friday to Illinois State, 16-6.

A Close Battle Early

The Redbirds jumped on the board early in the second with an RBI double, a two-RBI double, and another RBI double to give Illinois State a 4-0 lead. Landon Lowe crushed his second home run in as many games to cut the deficit to 4-2 in the top of the third. Illinois State extended their lead with a grand slam in the third to make it 8-2. 

Illinois State added two more in the sixth with another home run to push the lead to 10-2. Bradley started to chip away at the deficit in the seventh on Angelo Aleman's solo shot. The Braves kept the rally going in the top of the eighth with a Jaxon Schumacher RBI single, and two bases-loaded hit-by-pitches for Aleman and Sohrab Rezaei to cut the deficit to 10-6.

The Redbirds forced the run rule in the bottom of the eighth with a two-RBI single and a grand slam to secure a 16-6 win.

Standout Performances for Bradley

Aleman hit 2-for-3 with a home run, a hit-by-pitch, two RBI, and one run scored. Lowe remains a major offensive threat, hitting a homer for the second consecutive game while totaling two RBI and two runs scored and reaching safely in 26 straight games.

Rezaei continues to find ways to reach base on two walks and a hit-by-pitch, adding an RBI and a run scored for his 24th consecutive game of reaching safely. Schumacher went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

On the Mound

Gavin Thompson had the start and took his fifth loss this season, pitching 2.2 innings while allowing eight runs on nine hits. Brady Appel relieved Thompson and pitched 2.1 hitless innings while yielding one run on three walks and two strikeouts.

Standout Performances for Illinois State

Ryan Bakes was 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run, a walk, five RBI, and two runs scored from the leadoff position. On the mound, Addari Michael pitched six innings while allowing two runs on six hits with nine strikeouts.

By the Numbers

Bradley: 6 runs, 9 hits, 1 error
Illinois State: 16 runs, 18 hits, 2 errors