The Braves finished off their first homestand of the year with two wins against non-Division I opponents. Bradley knocked off Robert Morris-Peoria at home last Friday and then run-ruled Illinois College the next day.
Bradley threw its ace, junior Elliot Ashbeck, in Friday’s start, but he didn’t quite have all of his pitches working. He “didn’t come out sharp” early in the game, according to head coach Elvis Dominguez, but he was able to settle down quickly.
The Braves would scatter eight runs throughout the game en route to a 8-2 win. Ashbeck gave up a run in five innings while striking out four and walking three. Senior David Koll was extremely effective as he struck out six in the innings while only yielding one run.
Freshman Allen Beer carried the team offensively, as he drove in three runs on two hits against the Golden Eagles.
The pitching performance of the weekend came the next day from junior Steve Adkins, who pitched five innings and struck out seven. The highlight of the day came in the fourth inning when Adkins struck out the side on just nine pitches, otherwise known as an “immaculate inning.”
“Steve was really special,” Dominguez said. “He was pretty good. He really did a wonderful job.”
Dominguez stressed that the pitching over the weekend was “a total team effort,” and he was extremely pleased with the way they threw. However, Dominguez also expressed his concerns with the offense.
“Our offense is non-existent,” Dominguez said. “It has been for about two or three games.”
Dominguez said that the struggles at the plate are a result of many different causes.
“You have to remember, this is a grind,” Dominguez said. “We’re halfway into our season…and guys are playing two, three games in a week plus school plus travel. The body has a bit of a breakdown.”
However, with sophomore Spencer Gaa finally returning last Saturday after missing significant time with a hamstring injury, Bradley’s offense could get a boost. Gaa is certainly one of the best bats in the lineup, as he was hitting at a .417 clip before the injury.
“That’s definitely gotta give us a little bit of a boost,” Dominguez said. “He hits two or three in the lineup, so obviously having Godinez, Smith and Gaa at the top of the lineup gives us a big boost offensively.”
Gaa said the time off the field was difficult for him, as missing games due to injury is not something he is used to doing.
“It’s been extremely tough coming off my freshman year in which I played in every single game,” Gaa said. “I’ve made the best of it and have tried to be the best teammate I can be.”
The Braves hope to get that big boost this weekend as they travel south to play Missouri Valley Conference foe Dallas Baptist, who is ranked in the top-20 nationally. This will be the biggest test for the men so far.
“We cannot beat ourselves,” Dominguez said. “When we get the opportunities, we have to manufacture runs and we have to be able to score when given those opportunities because they’re a very solid club.”
Bradley will start their three-game set tonight against the Patriots in Dallas, where they have not lost a game yet this season.
“The key to success down at DBU is to put together a complete game,” Gaa said. “From our pitching to our defense as well as our plate approach, if we put all the pieces of the puzzle together we can compete with anyone.”
