ST. LOUIS (Interstat) — The Bradley Braves and Saint Louis Billikens, both seeking momentum in a slow start to the season, continue their weekend series Saturday afternoon at Billiken Sports Center.

First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. under cloudy skies with a game-time temperature near 79 degrees.

The Braves (4-7) evened the series with a shutout victory Friday night. The Billikens (4-9) look to rebound at home, where they are 4-4 this season.

A key matchup will feature Bradley’s Joey Cirelli, who is expected to start on the mound. Cirelli delivered a crucial long-relief performance last Tuesday, throwing 7 1/3 innings of scoreless, one-hit ball to earn the win against SIU Edwardsville. His offense was powered in that game by designated hitter Jack Holubowski, who drove in three runs, and third baseman Luke Skinner.

Saint Louis will counter with reliever Liam McKinney, a player to watch for the Billikens. McKinney has been effective in recent outings, posting back-to-back scoreless three-inning appearances against Western Illinois and Southern Indiana. However, he struggled in a Feb. 22 game at North Alabama, allowing six earned runs while recording just two outs.

Both teams have shown offensive flashes but struggle with consistency. Bradley has won three of its last five, including an 8-7 win at SIU Edwardsville and two victories in a series at Tennessee-Martin. Saint Louis has dropped four of its last five, with its most recent win an 8-0 shutout of Bellarmine on Feb. 28.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, Saturday’s contest projects to be a tight one, with a predicted final score of Bradley 5, Saint Louis 4.

The series concludes Sunday afternoon in St. Louis.