TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Indiana State baseball lost for just the second time this season under the lights at Bob Warn Field to Bradley, 9-5, to open a weekend series with the Braves. ISU fell to 34-15 overall while Bradley moved to 31-16. Both squads moved to 11-8 in Missouri Valley Conference action.
 
The Braves scored seven runs in the final three innings of action, including three insurance runs in the top of the ninth which included a pair of home runs.
 
Indiana State scored in each of the first three innings of play to lead the Braves 4-2. Roby Enriquez gave the Sycamores an early lead after driving in Jarrod Watkins with a double to right field. After the Braves tied the game in the second, ISU came back with two more runs in the bottom of the inning after sending six batters to the plate and racking up three base hits.
 
CJ Huntley bunted his way onto first base and was followed by Luke Fegen's single through the left side. Jake Means collected his 31st and 32nd RBIs of the season when he drove a double down the line in left field to score the pair.
 
Following a Bradley run in the top of the third, ISU looked to answer back with a big inning of their own after BU starter Mitch Janssen issued three-straight walks. Max Wright would plate Enriquez from third with a long fly ball to the warning track in left, but Bradley reliever Cole Cook would get the next two batters to end the threat prematurely.
 
Cook would be solid for the next five innings of action as well, holding ISU to just two hits and one run en route to the win. His lone miscue came in the eighth when Dane Tofteland sent his third home run of the season over the wall in left-center to cut the Braves lead to just one run at 6-5 before BU added three runs in the ninth with homers from Dan Bolt and Keaton Rice.
 
The Braves used a four-run seventh to take the lead as Tyler Ward issued a hit-by-pitch and a walk to open the frame. The Braves moved both runners into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt before Connor O'Brien drove in two runs with a double to tie the game. Luke Shadid walked a batter later and two more runs would cross when Keaton doubled to the gap in right off of Tyler Grauer to give Bradley a 6-4 lead.
 
Ward fell to 5-2 on the season after allowing four runs in two-thirds of an inning. Grauer allowed two runs in an inning and two-thirds.
 
Triston Polley took the no-decision after tossing six innings in the start. The left-hander was sprayed for nine hits but kept the Sycamores in the game with nine strikeouts while walking just one of the 27 batters he faced.
 
Janssen went just two innings for Bradley, allowing five hits and four runs. Cook (5-1) retired five Sycamores on strikeouts out of the bullpen and did not allow a free pass. Theron Denlinger finished the game with three fly balls for the Braves.
 
Keaton led the Braves with three of the teams' 13 base hits while driving in five runs.
 
UP NEXT
The Sycamores will look to even the series Friday with a first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET from Bob Warn Field.
 
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