Jay Molina went 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI, but the Illinois State baseball team lost another heartbreaker, 4-3, in its first game of the Wichita State series in Wichita, Kan.
The Redbirds fall to 7-10 overall, 2-3 in Valley play, while the Shockers improve to 16-9, 1-0 in the MVC. Illinois State finished with five hits and only one error, while Wichita State scattered eight hits and committed one error as well.
Kyle Bloom (2-2) pitched well as the Redbirds starter going eight innings and allowing eight hits and two earned runs, while striking out four and walking only two batters. Sanders (4-0) earned the win for the Shockers going six innings with five hits and seven strikeouts, while reliever Mike Dennison picked up his fifth save of the season.
Illinois State used big double plays, including an uncharacteristic 1-5-3 twin killing, in each of the first two innings to limit the Shockers to only one run in the bottom of the second inning when Cody Clark hit a single up the middle with two outs to score J.R. DiMercurio from second. Wichita State starter David Sanders kept the Redbirds hitless in the top of the third inning recording his fifth and sixth strikeouts of the game respectively.
The Birds had a chance to put some runs on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth with runners at first and second with one out, but Jay Molina grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to close out the side. After getting the first two batters out, Bloom gave up a single and a double to the Shockers and Kyle Zaleski dropped a fly ball in right field, which led to Wichita State taking a 4-0 lead after four innings of play.
After a scoreless fifth inning for both teams, Illinois State got four big hits and three runs in the top of the fifth, including a bases-loaded, two-out double to right field by Molina that plated two Birds. With Wichita State ahead 4-3 heading into the eighth inning, Jeremy Pickrel drew a lead-off walk with no outs. However, he was picked off during the next at-bat in a 1-3-4-6 rundown. Later in the inning, Jake Blair was up to bat with two outs and runners at the corners, but a dribbling ball down the first base line stayed fair and the Shocker first baseman made the play unassisted.
Bloom stayed in for the bottom of the eighth and struck out the side. In the top of the ninth, the Birds went down 1-2-3 with Bialobreski and Blaesing recording strikeouts.
Illinois State continues its Valley series with the Shockers Saturday with a doubleheader slated to start at 2 p.m. The first game will be seven innings, while the second game will be nine.
