TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Trailing 4-0 heading into the top of the eighth inning, Illinois State scored five times in the eighth and three more times in the ninth to secure a win in the second game of the series against Indiana State by an 8-7 score.
Owen Miller went 3-for-5 at the plate, while Collin Braithwaite went 2-for-5 with a team-high three RBI's. John Rave and Jordan Libman each drove in two, as Joe Butler scored twice.
Indiana State jumped ahead at the mid-way point of the game, as the hosts struck twice in the bottom of the fourth inning, before the Sycamores hit solo home runs in the sixth and seventh innings to lead the Redbirds 4-0 heading into the eighth inning.
In the eighth inning, Butler and Tyson Hays each drew walks, before Rave singled home Butler, ending the shutout bid for the Sycamores. A batter later, Miller singled up the middle to drive in Hays, cutting the deficit to 4-2. Braithwaite proceeded to crush the first pitch he saw in the next at-bat well over the wall in left field, staking Illinois State to a 5-4 advantage in the game.
The Sycamores scored twice in the bottom of the eighth inning on an RBI double and a bases-loaded strikeout/wild pitch to jump ahead again by one run at 6-5.
The top of the ninth saw the Redbirds' first four batters reach base. Nick Zouras led off the inning when he was hit by a pitch. Pinch-runner Bryce Grimm was advanced to second on a perfectly-executed bunt single by Joe Aeilts, and the pair was moved around after an infield single by Butler. Pinch hitter Libman followed with a double to right-center field, scoring Grimm and Aeilts. Rave flew into a sacrifice fly to score Butler to put Illinois State on top 8-6.
Indiana State threatened in the bottom of the ninth inning, as a double put a runner in scoring position, before a single scored to cut the deficit in half, and the Sycamores singled; however, an attempt to stretch one added base to two saw a tag-out at third base which ended the game.
Michael Sebby picked up the win, pitching the final inning and a third, striking out two and scattering three hits. Brady Huffman started the game for the Redbirds, scattering seven hits and giving up four runs while striking out four and walking none.
The teams will meet on Sunday for the rubber-match of the series, with a first-pitch slated for noon.
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