Neal Cotts struckout a career-high 13 batters in a three-hit complete game shutout and Jake Perganson and Jeremy Accardo provided the offense with run-scoring singles as the Illinois State baseball team dropped Southwest Missouri State 2-0 in Missouri Valley Conference action from Redbird Field Friday.
It was standing room only for the horde of scouts which turned out to watch the duel between two of the MVCs top pitchers in Cotts and SMSs John Rheinecker and neither hurler left the scouts disappointed as each went the distance, notching 13 strikeouts apiece.
The Redbirds ace, Cotts held the Bears (17-11, 6-3) to only three hits and two walks over nine innings to improve his record to 4-1 on the season.
Weve watched Neal pitch many great games, but its hard to remember ever seeing him this dominant, ISU head coach Jeff Stewart said.
Cotts, who also blanked the Bears 12-0 in Springfield, Mo., in 2000, knew he had to set the tone for his team this week.
We all knew that their pitching staff has the best earned run average in the conference and that we would be scratching for runs all weekend, Cotts said. Going up against their top pitcher I knew I had to be on top of my game tonight.
Hopefully a solid all-around game like this will help to build our confidence for the rest of the weekend, Cotts said.
Behind Cotts, the Redbirds (12-12, 4-5) won for the fifth time in six games since beginning a season-long 11-game homestand last Tuesday.
The Birds scratched solo runs in the fourth and eighth innings on RBI singles by Accardo and Perganson. Accardo ripped a single to left field, plating Mike Saunches, who led off the fourth with a double to left. Perganson knocked in catcher Greg Blaesing with a two-out bases loaded infield single to give Cotts added insurance.
The two teams square off in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
