With timely hitting, errorless fielding and a solid relief outing from Howie Frank, the Illinois State baseball team claimed its third straight win with a 9-6 victory over Southwest Missouri State, Friday night in Missouri Valley Conference action at Price Cutter Park.
The Redbirds scored six of their nine runs with two outs to improve their record to 5-12 overall and 2-2 in the Valley, while the Bears fell to 12-4 and 0-1.
The Redbirds took the lead for good in the top of the fifth powered by a four-run inning on an RBI double by Jon Peacock, a bases loaded, two-run single by Jake Blair and a bases loaded walk to Jeremy Pickrel. The four scores gave the Birds a 7-3 edge.
Earlier in the SMS half of the fourth inning, Frank came in for relief of Redbird starter Kyle Zaleski. Frank finished with his first career win of his Illinois State career on four and a third innings pitched. He allowed three runs on five hits, while striking out two. Jeremy Accardo finished the game with his third save of the season.
We had guys on in scoring position and you hope that you can get some big hits with less than two outs, but it worked out today that we got some clutch hits, head coach Jeff Stewart said. The key was that we never gave up the big inning. When Kyle (Zaleski) went out there and found barrel after barrel with pitches, it would have been easy (for SMS) to put up a three or a four up at any one time. But he made enough big pitches and we made enough plays on defense.
Howie went out and really gave us more than we than we expected. We were prepared to take him out, but he settled and competed, and again, he never let Southwest put up the big number.
Junior Mike Saunches sealed the Redbird win with a two-run bomb in the top of the ninth. It was his third home run of the season and scored Chris Shepherd, who had pinch ran for senior transfer Brad Bouris after his third hit of the game.
Bouris posted his second two-out RBI of the game in the third inning when he went to the opposite corner with a double down the leftfield line that scored Jake Perganson from second base to give the Birds a 2-1 lead. The ISU edge was short lived as the Bears belted three doubles in the bottom half of the frame by Matt Gardner, Dante Brinkley and Tony Piazza, which led to two SMS runs and a 3-2 lead.
In the top half of the fourth with two outs, Greg Blaesing cleared the fence for the first time this season with a solo shot down the right field line to tie the game at 3-3.
To start the game, the Birds lit the scoreboard early with a run in the first inning after senior Ryan Cantrell reached on an error by the Bears Shaun Marcum, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Cantrell crossed the plate on Bouris two-out single up the middle. Cantrells stolen base was the first against SMS in eight games and was only the eighth for the Birds on the season.
I was just trying to see a good pitch and make good contact, Bouris said about his two-out hits. Im seeing the ball real well right now. Im not really thinking too much and just reacting.
In addition to Bouris three base raps, Blaesing and Perganson each ended up with two hits a piece.
Illinois State continues its series with Southwest Missouri State with a double-header on Saturday, March 30, slated to start at 2 p.m. The Birds finish the series on Sunday, March 31, the fourth and final game of the series at 1 p.m.
