Box Score

Dallas Baptist completed a three-game sweep of the Bradley Braves on Sunday at Dozer Park in Peoria, Illinois, with a 9-7 win on Sunday.  DBU freshman, David Martinelli, provided the offensive fireworks, going 5-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI and caps off a week in which he went 10-for-20 and drove in eight runs. 

The Patriots (20-7, 3-0) got on the board in the first inning with a two out rally that plated three runs.  DBU's first run of the day came on an RBI single by Justin Wall.  Daniel Salters followed with a two-run triple to right centerfield.  The triple was Salters' team-leading third of the season.

After DBU starter, Cory Taylor, allowed two runs in the bottom of the first, the Patriots responded with two of their own on a two-run double off the bat of Mike Wesolowski.  The senior from Mesa, Arizona, would add to the Patriots lead with a solo shot off the left field foul pole in the top of the fourth. 

A Salters RBI single in the fourth and a Martinelli RBI knock in the fifth, gave DBU a commanding 8-3 lead through four-and-a-half innings. 

Taylor would be lifted from the game in the fifth for Sean Stutzman.  On the day, Taylor allowed four runs and struck out eight, while walking four. 

Bradley (15-8, 1-5) would begin to chip away at the Patriot lead in the fifth, scoring three runs on a barrage of base hits off of Stutzman.  RBI singles from the bottom third of the Braves' order by Drew Carlile, Austin Jarvis, and Chris Godinez cut the DBU lead to 8-6.  In the bottom of the sixth, Bradley's Greg Partyka hit a solo homerun off of Joseph Shaw to draw the Braves within one, 8-7.

DBU would scratch an insurance run across the plate in the seventh on a double by Martinelli that brought Wesolowski in from second. 

Brandon Koch came out of the pen in relief of Shaw in the seventh inning with a runner at second base and one out.  Koch inherited a 2-2 count on Spencer Gaa and proceeded to finish off Gaa on a slider for the strikeout.  After hitting Max Murphy to put the tying run on base, Koch escaped the jam with a strikeout of Partyka.

Koch would go on to toss a scoreless eight and ninth innings to preserve the 9-7 win and earn his third save of the year.  "Brandon has been solid for us all year," DBU Head Coach, Dan Heefner, said after the win.  "He's one of those guys that thrives off the pressure and wants to be in that situation and that's really the kind of attitude this team has developed this year."

The win is the fifth straight for the Patriots and puts them on top of the Missouri Valley Conference standings at 3-0.  DBU is also an impressive 9-4 away from home this year.

The Patriots return home for a Tuesday night game versus Texas Southern before hitting the road next weekend at Illinois State for a three-game conference series.  First pitch on Tuesday is scheduled for 6:30 pm.  Fans can follow the action with a live video and audio feed on the Patriot Broadcasting Network (www.dbupatriots.com/showcase), beginning with the Patriot Pre-Game Show at 6 pm.