NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State use a big fifth inning to win a midweek matchup against the Saints of St. Francis 11-3. The game was the team's ninth double-digit scoring game of the season.
Owen Miller led the way in hitting for the Redbirds as he finished the game 4-for-5 with two RBI's. John Rave, Nick Zouras, and Joe Aeilts each had two hits in the game for the Redbirds.
Zouras led the team with three RBI's, while Derek Parola and Collin Braithwaite finished with two as well. Tyson Hays would make his collegiate debut behind the plate, and tied the team-high with two runs, along with Rave and Parola.
Jack Spicer picked up the win for the Redbirds going three complete innings allowing three hits on one earned run. The Redbird bullpen saw a lot of action as the Redbirds used five relief pitchers to wrap up the game. Paul Turelli made his debut for the Redbirds in two innings of relief allowing just one hit, and striking out two.
The Redbirds tallied the first run on the scoreboard in the bottom of the 2nd inning when Zouras drove in his first RBI of the game on an RBI single, scoring Parola.
St. Francis matched with a one run in the top of the 3rd inning to tie the game at one run apiece.
The tie score didn't last long as the Redbirds exploded in the bottom of the third inning putting five runs on the scoreboard, two come in on a Zouras triple.
The Saints got two runs back in the top of the fourth inning, trimming the Redbird lead to 6-3.
The Redbirds would score for the third consecutive inning in the bottom of the fourth as they got two runs on a Parola two run RBI single.
The two teams went scoreless in the fifth and sixth innings.
The Redbirds would put the game out of reach in the bottom of the seventh inning as they brought home three more runs to make it 11-3.
The Saints and Redbirds wouldn't score the rest of the game earning the victory for the Redbirds.
Illinois State returns to action this weekend, when the team travels to Terre Haute to take on the Indiana State Sycamores.
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