Junior starter Neal Cotts hurled a complete game and struck out 10 as Illinois State (9-11, 1-4) picked up its first conference win of the season downing Creighton 10-4 before 111 fans at Redbird Field Friday. Cotts 10 strikeouts was one away from tying a career high.
It was important to get the first game, ISU head coach Jeff Stewart said. Early on (Cory) Slining (Creightons starter) was throwing well and it looked like it was going to be a real pitching dual.
Eight of nine starters had hits for ISU, including Jared Dufaults, 2-for-4, and Ryan Cantrells, 2-for-3, multi-hit efforts. The Redbirds got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning when Cantrell drilled a one-out double to left center and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Greg Blaesing drove Cantrell home with a two-out single to left to put ISU up 1-0.
We have enough athleticism that we can put a lineup out there that can produce 1-9, Stewart said. We had a lot of guys contribute today.
Creighton responded in the top of the third when Chris Hinrichs, who had tripled, scored on a Joe Mazzuca sacrifice fly. Hinrichs finished the day 3-for-5 with one stolen base and a run scored.
The Bluejays took the lead in their half of the fifth, when Mazzuca had a solo homer to center to give the Bluejays a 2-1 advantage.
ISU got to Creighton starter Cory Slining in the sixth, who surrendered just three hits and one run in the first five innings. Scott Legan led off the inning with a single and scored after a Jake Perganson groundout and an RBI single to right by Ed Tolzien. After a Dufault walk and an RBI single by Mike Saunches, Cantrell singled and Jon Peacock walked to load the bases.
Blaesing reached on an error by Creighton second baseman Mazzuca and Jeremy Accardo followed that by reaching on an error by CU shortstop Sean Peickert to plate two more runs. The Redbirds scored five runs in the inning on four hits to jump out to a 6-2 lead.
The Redbirds added three more in the seventh and one in the eighth to put the game away. Dufault started the seventh inning scoring with a one-out solo homer to center field.
Cotts recorded strikeouts on the first three outs of the afternoon, improving to 3-1 with the win. Creighton fell to 9-13 overall, 2-7 in Valley play.
It wasnt his best performance of the year, Stewart said on Cotts performance. Hes a bulldog hes very competitive He didnt have his best stuff today, but he went out and fought hard and it was good enough to win today.
The four-game series continues Saturday with a noon doubleheader at Redbird Field. Game one will be a seven inning contest, while the second game will be a nine inning affair.
