Sophomore right-hander Matt Hines fired a six-hit shutout and pinch hitter Lance McMillan slapped a bases-loaded single to right field with one out in the seventh inning to finish a 10-0 Illinois State victory over Indiana State Sunday in Missouri Valley Conference baseball.
Hines (3-2) struck out one and walked one while completing his longest outing as a Redbird pitcher.
It felt really good to come out and throw strikes and get ahead of the batters, Hines said. I feel very confident in myself when I step out there, its almost (Neal) Cotts-like in that I feel that I can dominate out there.
ISU head coach Jeff Stewart thought his right-handed sophomore gave the team a huge boost with his first collegiate complete-game.
The way Matt took the mound and competed really set the tone for us, Stewart said. To get on the board in the third when we did took a lot of pressure off of Matt and put us in the drivers seat.
Hines teammates backed him with a 15-hit attack--all singles--including four in five at-bats for center fielder Jared Dufault, the Valleys leading hitter. Dufault, one of six seniors honored on Senior Day at Redbird Field, finished the day at .419. Dufaults teammate, Ryan Cantrell, bumped his average back above .400 with a 3-for-5 day at the plate. Cantrell is at .402.
It was a big game for us, it was the last home-conference game for the seniors and it came in a must-win situation, Dufault said. I think we needed to come out and show Indiana State that it was the seniors day here at Redbird Field and that we came out ready to play.
Fellow senior Ed Tolzien, who added two hits and two RBI, realized the importance of todays victory.
It was just good to answer after the way we played yesterday in the second game. I thought everyone came out and responded really well and it was great for the seniors to come out and finish the home conference season on a positive note, Tolzien said.
McMillans hit ended the game on the 10-run rule. Tolzien and Jake Perganson both had two-hit days for the Redbirds, who have won eight of their last nine games.
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The Redbirds, 24-18 overall, 11-9 in the Valley, got Hines all the backing he needed during an eight-run third. Illinois State sent 13 men to the plate. Ed Tolziens two-run single made the score 3-0 before Sycamore starter and loser Matt Zaleski (3-2) could register an out in the fateful third. After Zaleski departed in favor of reliever Caleb Reger, the Sycamores turned a potential double-play grounder into two errors and two more Redbird runs. Illinois State took advantage of Indiana States four errors, two passed balls and a wild pitch.
The Birds have taken three of four from the Sycamores, 24-22 overall, 13-14 in the Valley, in each of the last four series the two ISUs have played in Normal.
Currently sitting in sole possession of third place in the Missouri Valley Conference, the Redbirds host Northern Illinois in a non-conference match in the home finale on May 1, before traveling to Northern Iowa for a crucial four-game MVC series against the Panthers.
