THE LEAD
DBU claimed the series opener with a 9-8 win over Bradley on Friday night at Horner Ballpark as the Patriots celebrated Senior Night. Tim Millard went 4-for-4 with three RBI, two doubles and two runs scored to fuel the DBU offense.
 
Dalton Higgins (7-1) earned the win with 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief for starting pitcher Ray Gaither. Nathan Stong (3-4) suffered the loss after giving up four runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings of work. Seth Elledge (10) picked up the save, coming on to pitch the final out of the top of the ninth.
 
Bradley grabbed the early lead in the top of the first on a solo homerun by Luke Mangieri. DBU answered in the bottom of the opening frame on a two-out, two run single up the middle from Camden Duzenack. Gaither cruised through 4 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts and the round-tripper as one of just two hits allowed, before Dan Heefner brought Higgins out of the bullpen. Higgins induced an inning-ending double-play to conclude the top of the fifth.
 
The Patriots put up five runs in the sixth inning, highlighted by a pair of RBI doubles from Tim Millard and Camryn Williams, and a Devlin Granberg RBI triple. Granberg scored on a wild-pitch to cap off the inning and make it 7-1. In the top of the eighth, the Braves trimmed the lead to three on a three-run blast off the bat of Derek Bangert. Millard gave DBU some insurance in the bottom of the eighth with a two-run shot to left-center to extend the lead to 9-4.
 
Bradley added two in the top of the ninth on a pair of RBI singles by Andrew Ivelia and Bangert, forcing Heefner to bring out his closer, Seth Elledge.  On his second pitch, Elledge gave up a two-run double to Ian Kristan to cut the lead to 9-8. Elledge forced Carson Weber to pop out in foul ground to bring an end to the contest.
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
 - Austin Listi became the program leader in games started on Friday night at 216.
 - DBU finished the game 5-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
 - Dalton Higgins' win was the 16^th of his career, tying him with Michael Smith for 5^th all-time in DBU's Division I history.

COACH DAN HEEFNER - ON THE IMPORTANCE OF TONIGHT'S OFFENSE
"Early on, it looked like it was going to be a pitcher's duel and a defensive game, so the five-run sixth was huge for us there and the two insurance runs in the eighth as well, You don't want to need those, but we needed them tonight."

TIM MILLARD - ON THE KEY TO HIS 4-FOR-4 PERFORMANCE
"I've just been working with Coach Heefner a lot on just being easy with my swing, and I felt really comfortable in the box tonight. It felt good."
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
14 – Camden Duzenack now has 14 consecutive RBI with two outs.
24 – With 24 career saves, Seth Elledge is now one save away from tying Chris Haney for the most in DBU's Division I history.
8 – The Patriots pitching staff forced the Braves to strand eight man on base.
 
UP NEXT
DBU and Bradley face off in the second game of the weekend series on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Horner Ballpark. Jordan Martinson (6-3) takes the mound for the Patriots against Cole Cook (7-4) for the Braves.