Jake Blair went 4-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored, but the Illinois State baseball team could not pick up the victory falling 10-9 to Evansville Friday night in a wild Missouri Valley Conference game at Redbird Field in Normal that saw seven lead changes and a combined 23 runners left on base.
The Redbirds fall to 9-17 overall and 3-9 in Valley play, while the Purple Aces improve to 13-19 overall and 3-10 in league play. Fridays game was Illinois State head coach Jim Brownlee's first meeting with Evansville since taking over as the Illinois State skipper in July 2002 after serving as the Aces head coach for 23 seasons.
It is hard to win a game in this league (The Valley) when you give up 10 runs on Friday night, said Brownlee. It has been the story of our season with errors and no timely hits costing us wins. We just have to keep trying to get out of this slump.
Accardo (0-1) picked up the loss in relief, but finished 2-for-5 at the plate with three RBI and two runs scored, while Greg Blaesing also turned in a nice performance going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI.
After getting out of a two-out, runners at second and third jam in the first inning, Illinois State starter Kyle Bloom allowed two base hits to lead off the second and it came back to haunt him as Eric Jones sent a ground ball into centerfield to plate two runs for the Purple Aces. The Redbirds responded in the bottom of the inning with three consecutive extra-base hits, a double, triple and another double, which helped give the Birds the 3-2 lead.
An RBI single by Erik Lis and a bases loaded walk in the top of the fourth gave Evansville back the lead, 4-3. A bases loaded, RBI single to left field by Blair with two outs tied the game at 4-4, but Lance McMillan was called out at the plate trying to score from second base on the hit on perfect throw by Aces left fielder Anthony Albano.
Evansville starter Michael Greenhouse got into some trouble in the bottom of the sixth by loading the bases and then issuing a walk to McMillan to send Accardo over the plate and give Illinois State back the lead, 5-4. Two Bloom walks to lead off the seventh and a costly error at second base by Blair allowed Evansville to score three runs in the inning without recording a hit as the Aces took the lead again, 7-5.
A big, three-run homer to left field by Accardo with one out put the Birds up 8-7 after seven innings. An RBI double to right-center by Dan Robinson in the top of the eighth knotted the game at 8-8 with no outs. Albano followed Robinsons double with a deep shot to right field that plated two Aces to give Evansville the 10-8 advantage.
Jeremy Pickrel recorded an RBI groundout to second base to plate Jon Peacock from third and narrowed the Evansville lead to one, 10-9, in the bottom of the eighth. Accardo (0-1) put the Aces down 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth with two groundouts to second and a big strikeout to retire the side respectively.
A two-out double for Jay Molina down the right field line gave the Redbirds a runner in scoring position for a chance to send the game to extra innings, but Jon Peacock popped up foul to third base to end the game.
Illinois State and Evansville continue the series Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader. WJBC 1230 AM will broadcast both games live from Redbird Field.
