Freshman Jake Blair hit his first career grand slam in the top of the seventh inning of game two but the Illinois State baseball team finished out its series with Indiana State dropping two in Sundays doubleheader at Sycamore Field in Terre Haute, Ind. The Redbirds lost the first game, 10-0, and dropped the second, 14-12.
Ryan Cantrell led off the first game with a single to right field, but Jake Perganson grounded into 5-4-3 double-play and the Birds finished in the first inning with no runs. The Sycamores jumped out early, however, with fours runs in the first frame led by a RBI triple to right-center by John Purdom.
The Birds threatened in the second inning with runners in scoring position and two outs, but Greg Blaesing struck out swinging to dash Illinois States hopes of cutting into the Sycamore lead. A RBI single by Brad Pierce scored Kevin Egli from second giving Indiana State another run for a 5-0 lead through three.
Illinois State reliever MacDonald gave up a homer to Pierce in the bottom of the fifth sending a shot over the right field wall for two more Sycamore runs.
The Redbirds led off the sixth with back-to-back singles by Brad Bouris and Jon Peacock, but a diving catch by Egli in right-center robbed Lance McMillan of extra bases and robbed Illinois State of at least one run. Egli continued to give the Birds trouble in the sixth when he hit a two-run homer to right-center to add some insurance to the Sycamore lead, 9-0.
Although scheduled for nine innings, a RBI single with two outs by Collins in the bottom of the seventh sent Purdom home for the tenth run and ended the first ballgame per the 10-run rule after seven innings.
In game two, Illinois State wasted no time getting on the board with three runs. After a double by Perganson and a walk by Brad Bouris, back-to-back balks by Sycamore starter Matthew Samuels scored Perganson and advanced Bouris to third. Bouris later scored on a RBI single to center by Chris Shepherd and Shepherd advanced to third when Jeremy Accardo singled to left-center. Accardo was put out in a rundown between first and second for the final out but Shepherd was able to score the third Redbird run on the play.
The Birds added a run in the top of the second when Jake Blair scored from third on a groundout by Cantrell to second base. Indiana State cut into the Redbirds four-run lead in the bottom of the inning when Ben Vannatter hit a two-run homer to left field making the score, 4-2, in favor of Illinois State.
Peacock scored the fifth Redbird run in the third inning when he scored on a RBI single by Accardo giving Illinois State some insurance, 5-2. However, a fielding error by second baseman Chris Shepherd kept two runners on with no outs and after a RBI single by Jamie Baker, Purdom hit a three-run homer over the right field wall gave the Sycamores the lead, 6-5, through three.
Jeremy Pickrel hit a solo shot down the right field line to lead off the fourth and tie up the game at 6-6. Cantrell was able to score from third on a sacrifice fly to right field by Peacock to give the Birds back the lead, 7-6. Purdom came up big again in the fourth with a two-RBI single to right-center to take the lead back from Illinois State, 8-7. Indiana State got a ninth run on a past ball by catcher Brad Bouris that brought home Baker.
The Redbirds cut a run off the Sycamore lead when Blair scored Shepherd from second on a RBI single to right field to make the score, 9-8. Jeremy Pickrel popped into a double play to the catcher on a bunt attempt that caught Accardo running home from third.
A fielding error by Cantrell on a flyball to right field brought Pierce home from second and gave Indiana State a two run lead, 10-8, through five innings.
With the bases loaded in the top of the seventh inning, Blair crushed a bomb to right field for a grand slam to put the Birds ahead, 12-10. A two-RBI single by Chris Hall with the bases loaded tied the game at 12 before Brad Collins hit another single to score another Sycamore run and give the lead to Indiana State, 13-12.
The Sycamores added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on a RBI single by Pierce to right center that gave Indiana State the two-run cushion and the game 14-12.
Illinois State continues its season with a four-game, conference series at home against Bradley, which begins on Friday, May 3.
