Jake Blair hit a solo home run in the top of the second inning, but the Illinois State baseball team could not generate any more runs and dropped its first game of the Pepsi/Johnny Quik Classic to Penn State, 5-1, at Pete Beiden Field.
Jon Peacock went 2-for-4 and Scott Bialobreski went 2-for-3 to lead the Redbirds, who collected seven total hits in the game. Starter Kyle Bloom (1-1) got the loss for the Birds pitching five and a third innings allowing three earned runs, four hits, four walks and six strikeouts.
Illinois State falls to 4-2 overall on the season. Blairs homer got the Birds on the board first with a 1-0 lead heading into the third inning. A throwing error by shortstop Jeremy Accardo pulled first baseman Peacock off the bag in the third, which eventually led to a bases-loaded balk by Bloom that tied the game.
In the fourth, Bloom walked and then hit consecutive Penn State batters before back-to-back RBI singles by Derrick Barr and Jack Smithlin respectively gave the Nittany Lions the 3-1 advantage.
Timely hitting in the sixth inning led to two more runs for Penn State after the Redbirds threatened in the top of the frame with runners at second and third with two outs before Blair flew out to the warning track in center field.
Illinois State got bad news following Sundays win against Pennsylvania when it learned that Kevin ODell, the Redbirds starting left-fielder, is out indefinitely with a broken bone in his arm. The injury occurred after a pitch hit ODell in the eighth inning.
The Redbirds continue the tournament Tuesday with a match-up against Fresno State slated for a 9 p.m. start central time.
