With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, Brad Bouris hit a line-drive single to left-center field to bring home the game-winning run as the Illinois State baseball team won game one, 5-4, of a four-game series against Northern Iowa Friday night.
Bouris, who is tied for fifth in the nation in batting (.458), was 2-for-5 with one RBI on the evening while Steve Reyes picked up the win on the mound for ISU (2-1).
This is the type of situation you live for, Bouris said. There were two outs, game tied and Greg Blaesing steps up to get our momentum going. Fortunately, our team played as a whole and made a group effort. This was definitely a team win.
Jake Perganson reached on an error on the Panther shortstop and a sac bunt by Chris Shepherd landed him on second with one out.
Jeremy Accardo grounded out to the shortstop before Greg Blaesing singled to left field on a 3-1 count, tying the game at 4-4. Kevin ODell, the Redbirds next batter, singled up the middle to land runners on first and second as the Redbirds returned to the top of the order with Ryan Cantrell up to the plate.
Cantrell hit a single of his own to load the bases before Bouris smacked the ball away for the win.
Northern Iowa got on the board first when the lead-off batter, Adam Boeve hit a home run over the right-field fence on the first pitch of the game.
Cantrell hit his fifth home run of the year, a two-run dinger down the right-field line, plating Kevin ODell who reached on a hit to centerfield.
In the top of the sixth, Panther Travis Welsch scored after reaching on an error and rounding the bases,, and crossing the plate, after Gary Lane hit a double to right center. A sac fly by Roamn Hummel scored a second run, tying the score at 3-3.
In the top of the seventh, Northern Iowa took a one-run lead after a wild pitch scored a Panther baserunner but ISU answered back in the ninth.
We pitched real well tonight and it looked like throughout the game, we were going to come up short, head coach Jeff Stewart said. It would have been a shame to lose a game we played real well and we kept getting chances and with their error in the ninth, it opened our door.
It was only game one of four, Stewart continued. I just hope we come out tomorrow and play just as well or better in our next three.
