PEORIA, Ill. (Interstat) — Troy Shepard carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning and struck out 12 as Southern Illinois defeated Bradley 6-2 in Missouri Valley Conference baseball on Saturday.

Shepard dominated over eight innings, allowing only two earned runs and walking none before exiting. The Braves avoided a no-hitter when Hayden Miller singled in the ninth. Southern Illinois capitalized on Bradley errors, scoring three unearned runs. Kye Watson and Kristian Sprawling each drove in a run for the Salukis.

Davis Webb struck out nine in six innings for Bradley but took the loss. Southern Illinois improved to 15-22. Bradley fell to 8-31. The teams conclude their series Sunday.