THE LEAD
Much like the first game Friday against the Bradley Braves (19-16, 4-6), the Dallas Baptist Patriots (28-13, 8-2) found runs hard to come by in the night cap and, unlike earlier in the day, fell to Bradley, 3-2, to split the twinbill. Darick Hall was outstanding for DBU on the mound, but he was matched by Braves' lefthander Cameron Roegner and took his third loss on the season in tough-luck fashion.
 
The Patriots once again jumped out to an early lead and, once again, Austin Listi played a part. On a 3-2 pitch from Roegner, Listi hit his fourth homerun in the last four games – and his sixth overall on the season – down the left field line and off the Dozer Park foul pole.
 
Neither offense could get anything else going off Hall or Roegner until the sixth inning when DBU threatened with men on first and second with two outs, but came up empty. In the bottom of the inning, Hall ran into trouble with one out when Bradley loaded the bases. The junior righthander surrendered the lead as Paul Solka continued his fantastic day at the plate with a two-run single up the middle. For Solka, the RBI single was his fourth hit in the doubleheader and gave Bradley a 2-1 lead to the final third of the ballgame.
 
The Braves added to their lead in the seventh as the leadoff hitter, Ian Kristan, hit his first homerun of the season to straightaway left field. That run loomed large as the Patriots finally got to Roegner in the eighth inning, scoring a run with two outs when Daniel Sweet singled and David Martinelli followed with a ringing double to right center. That RBI ended the day for the Bradley starter and righthander Allan Beer came on from the bullpen and ended the threat with one pitch to Trooper Reynolds, who grounded out to second.
 
Hall completed the game for DBU on the mound, throwing all eight innings and giving up only four hits. The Patriots suffered their second loss of the conference season and split the doubleheader with the rubber match scheduled for Saturday at 8:00 pm.

THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The loss snapped a six-game win streak over the Braves at Dozer Park in Peoria, Illinois.
- The Patriots are now 6-3 in one-run games this year.
- For the first time in conference action this year, DBU will play a deciding game in the series finale on Saturday versus Bradley.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
25 - Austin Listi now has 25 home runs in his three-year career.
1 - Darick Hall's complete game is the first by a Patriot pitcher this year and the first since Dalton Higgins threw a complete game against Bradley in last year's MVC Tournament.
11 - David Martinelli hit his team-leading 11th double of the year.

UP NEXT
DBU and Bradley meet in the series finale on Saturday night at Dozer Park with first pitch scheduled for 8:0 pm.  The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU with the audio play-by-play by on the Patriot Broadcasting Network.