WATERLOO - Nick Kirk's pitch count was a meaningless statistic Thursday night.

"I probably would have had to wrestle him to get him off the mound," University of Northern Iowa baseball coach Rick Heller said.

Kirk, in his final outing as a Panther, had thrown 114 pitches going into the ninth inning.

"They would have had to kill me and drag me off," he said. "There was no way I was coming out of that game."

The senior southpaw needed a season-high 137 pitches, but he finished his college career with a four-hit shutout as UNI blanked Bradley, 5-0, at Riverfront Stadium.

Often bothered by arm trouble throughout his career, the Dubuque Wahlert grad was as dominant as he's been since pitching a no-hitter against Evansville last season in the Missouri Valley Conference opener.

Kirk (6-5) matched a season-best 10 strikeouts, and the Braves never had anybody get past second base.

"He had it all, every bit of it tonight," catcher Jeff Taliaferro said. "He was pumped up. He wanted this game more than anything.

"He was the best he's been all season."

That said, Kirk was locked in a scoreless game through five innings.

Finally, UNI (22-25, 6-14 MVC) broke through in the sixth against Bradley ace Rob Scahill.

First baseman Kalvin Johnson roped a one-out double to gap in left-center to score Travis Bennett, followed by a two-run single up the middle from Cory Ege.

"I was seeing the ball pretty well tonight," said Ege, who was 2-for-3 with a run scored. "I was sitting slider and he gave it to me."

Despite no runs early, Heller believed UNI's patient approach led to its three-run sixth.

"The big key was having some good at-bats and extending some innings," he said. "We got his pitch count up by the sixth, and I knew they didn't want to go to their bullpen."

UNI, which has won seven of its eight, added two more in the eighth on a two-run double by Levi Ferguson.

From there, Kirk did the rest in the opening game of what is the program's final series.

Kirk, who pitched his third career shutout, didn't allow a hit between the fifth and eighth innings. He did allow a single and a walk in the ninth, but he finished it in emphatic fashion by striking out Jim Clayton.

"It feels amazing," said Kirk, who posed for photos and had a cookie cake waiting for him and the team afterward. "Nobody wants to go out losing, but it feels good to go out my last game winning.

"I'll always remember this game because it's the last one here."

EXTRA INNINGS: UNI middle reliever Zach Zirbel wasn't with the team Thursday night. Zirbel had a death in the family, but he is expected to return tonight for the second game of the series. … Ferguson finished with three hits. He has hit safely in five of UNI's last six games. … Kirk's nine-inning shutout was the first for UNI's pitching staff this year. … UNI will recognize its four seniors - Brett Douglas, Zirbel, Kirk and Deric Manrique before Saturday's game.

Bradley ab r h bi N. Iowa ab r h bi

Fitzgerald,ss 4 0 1 0 Ferguson,cf 5 0 3 2

McMillan,lf 3 0 0 0 Douglas,rf 3 0 0 0

Mitidiero,cf 4 0 1 0 Bennett,lf 4 1 2 0

Kimble,dh 4 0 0 0 Summers,dh 1 1 0 0

Luttrell,rf 4 0 2 0 Taliaferro,c 3 0 0 0

Sullivan,c 3 0 0 0 Johnson,1b 4 1 1 1

Kimball,ph 0 0 0 0 Ege,ss 3 1 2 2

Clayton,1b 3 0 0 0 Schultz,2b 3 1 1 0

Fritz,2b 2 0 0 0 Grgurich,3b 3 0 1 0

Colvin,3b 1 0 0 0

Totals 28 0 4 0 Totals 29 5 10 5

Bradley 000 000 000 - 0 4 0

Northern Iowa 000 003 02x - 5 10 0

DP - Bradley 2, UNI 1. LOB - Bradley 7, UNI 9. 2B - Ferguson 2 (6), Johnson (7). SH - McMillan, Colvin; Schultz. SF - Taliaferro. SB - Ferguson (12).

Pitching summary

Bradley IP H R ER BB SO

Scahill (L,3-3) 6.0 8 3 3 3 7

Booden 2.0 2 2 2 2 1

Northern Iowa IP H R ER BB SO

Kirk (W,6-5) 9.0 4 0 0 3 10

WP - Scahill.

HBP - by Kirk (Fritz); by Scahill (Summers); by Booden (Grgurich).

U - Grady Smith (plate); David Condon (first); Daniel Jimenez (third).

T - 2:25. Att. - 487.