THE RUNDOWN
No. 16 DBU (23-12, 4-2) bounced back to take game three versus Bradley on Saturday at Dozer Park. Pitching won the day for the Patriots, and a two-run shot from Blayne Jones in the ninth inning provided insurance for a 6-1 win. Freshman Ryan Johnson worked a no-hitter through five innings to earn his third win of the year. A Bradley squad that has developed a knack for late-game heroics was kept in check in the late innings, as Zach Heaton turned a double play in the eighth and Chandler Arnold went 1-2-3 in the ninth to shut down the Braves (11-18, 3-3).
The Patriot offense got going in the third frame. Jarrett McDonald doubled down the right-field line to open the inning. With nobody out, Nathan Humphreys and Miguel Santos both attempted a bunt to advance McDonald, but Bradley starting pitcher John Day walked the bases loaded and forced an early call to the bullpen. A Jace Grady ground out would score McDonald and give DBU a 1-0 lead.
After Ryan Johnson stranded the tying run with his career-high sixth strikeout in the fourth inning, DBU got right back to work and loaded the bases in the fifth. Blayne Jones notched the first of his game-high three RBI on a ground ball that drove in Miguel Santos. Luke Heefner added to the damage with an RBI single into left field that staked the Patriots to a 3-0 lead.
In the sixth, Humphreys singled to left field and scored on an Andrew Benefield sacrifice fly that drove the score up to 4-0 in favor of DBU. Bradley answered with its first and only run of the ballgame, an RBI single into left field.
The eighth inning proved to be the turning point in the game. With two runners on and nobody away, Zach Heaton induced a fly out and turned a 1-6-3 double play that cleared the bases and squashed the final Bradley threat of the afternoon.
The ninth frame was all DBU. First, Blayne Jones crushed a 0-1 pitch over the left-field wall on a two-run blast that extended the lead to 6-1. Then, Chandler Arnold relieved Heaton and stormed his way through the final three outs. The Patriots' closer ripped through the bottom of the Braves' order with two ground outs and a pop out to end the game.
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
-DBU improves to 7-6 on the road and 4-2 in conference play.
-With his 29th career steal, Jace Grady ties Jameson Hannah (2016-2018) for the 10th most in the DI era.
-The Patriots now lead the Braves 24-10 in the all-time series.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
218 - Blayne Jones played in his 218th career game, tying Camden Duzenack (2014-2017), Duncan McAlpine (2010-2013), and Justin Wall (2013-2016) for the second-most in the DI era.
31 - Blayne Jones also moved up the home runs list. His 31 career homers are the ninth-most in the school's DI era.
7 - DBU held an opponent to one run or less for the seventh time this season.
ON DECK
DBU heads to College Station on Tuesday to face the Texas A&M Aggies in a key midweek game. The game will be televised on the SEC Network. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
