Rapid Recap: Baseball loses midweek games to Eastern Illinois and Iowa

Entering the midweek, Bradley baseball (10-24) looked to snap their four-game losing streak.

However, after trips to Eastern Illinois and Iowa, the Braves failed to do so.

Panthers prowl on Braves

The midweek games began with a trip across the state on Tuesday to take on Eastern Illinois.

The Braves couldn’t overcome three errors on the afternoon and fell to the Panthers 9-14. Sophomore Beau Durbin went 4-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored to lead Bradley offensively.

Starting on the hill for the Braves was sophomore Cooper Chinn. The southpaw preferred better results in his two and two-thirds innings of work, allowing seven earned runs on six hits and three walks.

Senior Logan Delgado started the scoring with a solo home run to right field in the second inning, giving the Braves a 1-0 lead early.

Bradley had a 4-2 lead going into the third inning when EIU exploded for a seven-run frame. From that inning on, the Braves never regained their lead.

However, the Braves did make it interesting. In the fourth inning, Bradley responded with a three-spot courtesy of junior Tyrese Johnson’s two-run single and freshman Isaac Sobieszczyk’s one-run single. The EIU lead was cut to two runs, 7-9.

Ultimately, the deficit was too much to overcome.

O’Brien homers not enough against Iowa

The latter half of the midweek games took Bradley to Iowa to face the Hawkeyes.

The Braves hoped the matchup would be a turning point in their season, but they dropped the game 6-11. Junior Timmy O’Brien hit two home runs to lead his team at the plate.

On the mound, sophomore Brayden Marks got the starting nod for Bradley. The right-hander did well all things considered, throwing two innings with three runs, three hits, two walks and three strikeouts.

One of O’Brien’s home runs came in the first inning to give the Braves a 1-0 lead. Iowa answered back with three runs in the second inning to make it 1-3 heading to the fourth.

Bradley put up a four-spot in the fourth, repossessing their lead at 5-3. Juniors Cole Luckey and Nick Hosie provided the RBIs with Luckey’s fielder’s choice and Hosie’s 430-foot, three-run home run to right field.

O’Brien hit his second home run in the sixth to double the lead over the Hawkeyes, 6-3. This was the final time Bradley scored in the game. The Hawkeyes scored eight unanswered runs to grab the lead and take care of business.

Bradley finishes this season 0-2 against Big Ten opponents. They fell 10-12 to Illinois back on March 19.

On deck

Bradley continues conference play when they host Evansville at Dozer Park this weekend. The first game is on April 19.