May 10, 2008

Box Score

PEORIA, Ill. -

            The University of Northern Iowa baseball team scored five runs to take the lead in the top of the fourth and did not surrender the lead through the rest of the game in a 9-7 win at Bradley Saturday night at O'Brien Field. The Panthers collected 14 hits in the win, including three hits each by Eddie Almonte and Brandon Douglas. The win gives UNI (28-18, 13-7) its fifth Missouri Valley Conference series win of the season.

            Taylor Sinclair gave up three earned runs through five innings to improve to 6-3 on the season. Shuhei Fujiya earned the save, his first for UNI.

            Brandon Douglas was 3-of-4 from the plate with a home run and three RBIs. Almonte finished 3-of-5 with an RBI. Dane Embury and Cory Ege each finished 2-of-4 with a double for the Panthers.

            Rob Scahill allowed six runs through 3.1 innings to be charged with the loss.

Dane Embury led off the game with a full-count double into left center. He moved to third on a one-out fly out by Brandon Douglas. Brett Douglas hit a line drive down the right field side, but first baseman Grant Escue made a diving catch to end the inning and rob Douglas of the hit and RBI.

            Brett Douglas returned the favor to Escue in the bottom half of the inning, making a running catch at the wall to rob the Bradley first baseman of an extra-base hit and record the second out of the inning. Dan Brewer got a single to drop in front of center fielder Levi Ferguson, and he stole second. Colby Luttrell singled into right to score Brewer and give the Braves a 1-0 lead at the end of the first inning.

            Levi Ferguson was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the third. He stole second, and catcher Nick Mitidiero's throw skipped into center field to allow Ferguson to move to third with nobody out. Embury hit a full-count single up the middle, scoring Ferguson and tying the game, 1-1.

            In the bottom of the third, Rob Elliot reached on a fielder's choice. He stole second with one out and moved to third on a ground out. He scored on a passed ball to give the Braves a 2-1 lead.

            Chris Lopez drew a walk to lead off the top of the fourth. Cory Ege hit a single through the right side to move Lopez to third, and a single into left by Almonte scored Lopez and gave UNI runners at first and second with nobody out. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch. After Scahill struck out Ferguson, Embury drew a walk to load the bases with one out. Travis Hendrix hit a ground ball to third, but Elliot's throw home pulled catcher Mitidiero's foot off the plate, and Ege scored to give UNI its first lead of the game, 3-2. Brandon Douglas followed with a two-RBI single down the left field line, putting the Panthers in front 5-2. Tyler Thornton entered in relief for Bradley, and he struck out Brett Douglas to record the second out of the inning. Featherston drove in UNI's fifth run of the in the inning when he hit a single into left that scored Embury from second.

            Luttrell singled to lead off the bottom of the fourth. Mike Brumleve drew a walk, and Matt Fritz was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Luttrell scored on a passed ball that advanced all the runners, and Brumleve scored on a ground out to first by Tommy Fitzgerald, cutting the Panther lead to 6-4. Chris Gordon walked and stole second to give Bradley runners at second and third. Hendrix made a diving catch of a line drive off the bat of Rob Elliott to end the inning.

            Hendrix, Brandon Douglas and Brett Douglas hit consecutive one-out singles to load the bases in the top of the sixth. Hendrix scored and Brandon Douglas moved to third on a sacrifice fly by Featherston, giving UNI a 7-4 lead. Brett Douglas stole second to give UNI runners at second and third, but Lopez struck out looking to end the inning.

            Bradley used a single and a pair of walks to load the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the sixth. Fitzgerald hit a slow grounder back to UNI reliever Tim Flattery, and he got the force at the plate for the first out of the inning. Jim Clayton hit a pinch-hit sacrifice fly into left, scoring Mitidiero and cutting the Panther lead to 7-5. Elliott drew a two-out walk to reload the bases, but Escue grounded out to second to end the inning.

            Ege led off the top of the seventh with a double into left center. Almonte followed with a single into center that moved Ege to third. Ferguson hit a sacrifice fly to send Ege home and stretch the Panther lead to 8-5.

            Brandon Douglas added an insurance run in the top of the eighth, hitting a solo home run over the left field wall to bring the Panther advantage to 9-5.

            Bradley used a one-out walk and a bunt single to put runners on first and second in the bottom of the eighth. Clayton doubled into left to score Fritz from second and give Bradley runners at second and third with one out. Elliott grounded out to second, but Fitzgerald scored and Clayton moved to third, cutting UNI's lead to 9-7. Escue flied out to center to end the inning.

            UNI went into the bottom of the ninth still protecting a 9-7 lead. Shuhei Fujiya entered in relief for the Panthers, and he retired the Braves in order to earn his first save of the season.

            UNI and Bradley will wrap up the three-game series on Sunday at 5 p.m.