The Missouri State baseball team opened the Missouri Valley Conference season on a high note Friday, defeating visiting Bradley by an 8-3 score at Hammons Field for the Bears’ fifth win in a row.

    Adam Kimble’s two-out, two-run single in the first gave the visitors a quick 2-0 lead, but the Bears tied things up on Brayden Drake’s two-run double in the bottom half. Drake fouled off four Collin Brennan offerings before squaring up a drive off the wall in left center to plate Aaron Conway and Ben Carlson. Chris Playter drove Drake in with a ground out for a 3-2 MSU lead after one inning.

    Tim Clubb (1-1) settled in after that, holding the Braves at two runs until a sacrifice fly in the eighth. Clubb struck out six over eight innings in his first victory of the season. Brant Combs pitched a scoreless ninth.

    Missouri State added a run in the second after a Dallas Hord leadoff walk. Hord stole second with two outs, went to third on a throwing error by the catcher and scampered home when the Bradley defense was slow to get the errant throw back into the infield.

    Drake put his third homer of the season into the bullpen in the third, and Conway added a solo shot in the fourth for a 6-2 lead. Kevin Medrano’s double and a Carlson walk set up Drake’s RBI single three batters later to end Brennan’s day. Playter drove in Carlson with a fielder’s choice for an 8-2 lead.

    Missouri State is now 9-10 overall and 1-0 in the league. Bradley fell to 5-9 and 0-1 in MVC play.

    The Bears and Braves meet again at 2 p.m. Saturday.