Kevin ODell led the way for the Redbirds with a career-high three hits and starter Matt Hines tossed his second complete-game of the year as the Illinois State baseball team closed out its regular season with a 8-3 victory over Bradley.
The Birds turned a season-high five double plays and overcame an early 3-0 deficit en route to their fifth Missouri Valley Conference series win of the season. Since dropping four-straight at Wichita State, the Redbirds have won 24-of-32 games, including 17 of their last 24 in conference play.
With the victory, Illinois State (31-20, 17-11) moves into a third-place tie in the Valley standings with Evansville (32-17, 17-11), which lost at Indiana State earlier in the day. The 31 victories mark the third-highest total under head coach Jeff Stewart at ISU.
The Braves jumped on the board first when they touched Hines for three runs in the first inning. Hines got into trouble by allowing a leadoff double followed by two walks in the inning, but could have gotten out of the frame unscathed if not for costly errors by third baseman Jon Peacock and first baseman Ed Tolzien.
The Birds battled back with two two-out runs in the third inning. Jared Dufaults double to right-center plated center fielder Kevin ODell, who reached on a one-out base hit up the middle. Dufault scored ISUs second run of the frame when BU third baseman Jason Morelocks throw on Mike Saunches grounder sailed well over the head of first baseman Matt Gecan.
The Birds added the tying run in the fourth when catcher Steve Reyes single to right plated Jeremy Accardo who reached on shortstop Ryan Sullivans throwing error.
After the shaky start, both Hines and his defense settled down. The Birds turned four double plays in the first four innings of the game, allowing Hines to work around four walks and four hits.
The Birds kept momentum in their corner with two more runs in the fifth inning to grab a 5-3 lead. Jake Perganson and Saunches got things going with singles to left and Tolzien followed with an infield hit to load the bases with one out. Peacock plated Perganson with his team-leading 31st walk and Accardo followed with his team-high eighth sacrifice fly to plate Saunches and round out the Redbird fifth.
ISU sent seven men to the place in the eighth and tacked on three more insurance runs. A run-scoring double down the left field line by Perganson and a two-run single to left by Saunches were the big blows in the frame.
ODell led the way for the Redbirds on the offensive side with three hits in four at bats, he walked once, scored twice and added a stolen bass. Saunches and Perganson added two hits apiece.
Hines went the distance for the Redbirds, allowing three runs (one earned) on seven hits and four walks while striking out four.
The Redbirds will face Evansville at 11 a.m. in the opening-round of the conference tournament which begins Wednesday in Wichita, Kansas. Although the two teams finished in a tie for third place, the Aces will have the No. 3 seed via a tiebreaker.
