THE RUNDOWN
Bradley snapped No. 16 DBU's six-game win streak by a score of 10-4 Thursday in Peoria, Illinois. A six-run first inning secured the ballgame for the Braves. DBU (22-11, 3-1) would battle back in the middle frames, drawing as close as 7-4 before momentum-crippling home runs in the sixth and seventh innings ended the hope of a comeback.

Jacob Meador suffered his first loss as a Patriot despite hurling a career-high 11 strikeouts in 5.0 innings pitched. A three-hit day from Jace Grady led the way for a DBU offense that outhit Bradley 9-7, but four unearned runs and timely long balls led the Braves (10-17, 2-2) to the game one win. 

 Ryan Vogel sent Jacob Meador's first pitch of the ballgame into left field to set the stage for a big first inning for the Braves. After taking a 1-0 lead on an RBI double, an error in the outfield allowed another run to score and kept the bases full. The dust would settle after an RBI single and a three-run home run put the Patriots in a 6-0 hole. 

The Bradley lead reached a high water mark in the second inning when Conner O'Brien left the yard on a solo shot that made it a 7-0 contest. From there, Jacob Meador found his rhythm over the next four innings and the Patriot bats got to work. 

DBU struck back in the third frame. Blayne Jones nearly left the yard on an RBI triple that boomed off the wall in right-center field. Then, on the very next pitch, a sacrifice fly from Jace Grady scored Jones and trimmed the Bradley lead down to 7-2.

Meador went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the third and blanked the Braves in the fourth as DBU got another run back on a solo shot from Luke Heefner that was crushed out of right-center field. 

The comeback bid reached a feverous pitch in the sixth inning. Miguel Santos crushed a 1-1 offering out of left-center field that cut the deficit to 7-4 with nobody away. But starting pitcher Jacob Kisting would prevent further damage in his last inning of work, and DBU would fall silent the rest of the way. 

A two-run shot in the sixth inning and a solo blast in the seventh wrapped up the 10-4 win for the Braves. 

THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 
-DBU drops its first game in conference play. 
-Andrew Benefield extended his hit streak to 11 games. 
-Bradley's four home runs tied its season high.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 
14 - Both teams recorded 14 strikeouts. 
1 - Blayne Jones tripled for the first time this season. 
3 - Only three Braves were left stranded on base. 

ON DECK 
DBU looks to bounce back in game two on Friday, April 15. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.  Read Full Article