Jeremy Pickrel finished 3-for-7 with two game-tying RBI as the Illinois State baseball team came from behind in both games to sweep a doubleheader from Northern Iowa Saturday at Riverfront Stadium in Waterloo, Iowa.
Illinois State won the first game 5-4, in ten innings and picked up a big win in game two, 3-2, in seven innings. The two wins marked the first time all season that the Redbirds were able to win both games of a doubleheader. Illinois State improves to 15-23 overall and 6-12 in Valley play, while Northern Iowa falls to 18-21 overall and 8-11 in the league.
"This was just a great day and I'm so proud of how our kids responded to yesterday's 7-2 loss," said Illinois State head coach Jim Brownlee. "We missed out on a lot of opportunities to score in the first game leaving 17 runners on base, but we held on and came together to get the win, and then Josh Kauten came out and had his best outing on the mound this season in game two."
In game one, Jeremy Accardo jumped all over Northern Iowa starter Hans Frey in the first inning by smashing a homer over the left field wall to put the Birds up 1-0. Illinois State got another run in the top of the second after Chris Shepherd put runners at second and third with a sac bunt and Nate Whitney turned in an RBI groundout to second base to put ISU ahead 2-0 heading into the third.
Greg Blaesing flew out to centerfield with two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the third to stifle a golden opportunity for the Redbirds to extend their two run lead. In the bottom of the third, the Panthers were able to take the lead 3-2 after a base hit by Adam Boeve got by Jay Molina in right field and rolled all the way to the wall to score two and advance Boeve to third. Boeve later scored in the inning when Whitney lost a fly ball in the sun in centerfield with two outs.
Illinois State squandered another big opportunity to score in the top of the fourth with the bases loaded and one out when UNI reliever Jake Hansen struck out Jeremy Pickrel and Scott Bialobreski both swinging to retire the side. After a scoreless fourth inning, Joe Burgett homered to left field for Northern Iowa to add an insurance run to their lead, 4-2, in the bottom of the fifth.
Pickrel was able to send a line drive down the left field line for an RBI double in the top of the sixth to narrow the Panthers lead to one, 4-3. A fielding error by Northern Iowa shortstop Pat Moran on a potential double-play ball off a Shepherd grounder kept the inning alive for Illinois State and sent Jake Blair across home plate with the tying run. Illinois State starter Kyle Bloom stayed in the game for the seventh inning and put the Panthers down 1-2-3 to send the game to extra frames.
After a scoreless eighth inning, Chris Shepherd singled to right field to open the ninth, but was left stranded at second as UNI closer Micah Christensen retired the next three Redbirds to keep the game knotted at 4-4. Accardo, as the Redbirds extra-inning closer, put the Panthers down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth.
A two-out, solo bomb to left field from Jon Peacock, his sixth of the season, in the top of the tenth put the Birds ahead 5-4 and proved to be the game-winner as Burgett led off the side with a single to left field and was moved to second on a sac bunt by Nate Heath, but Accardo (2-2) struck out Boeve and forced Hanish to fly out to center to end the ballgame.
In game two, Northern Iowa was able to draw first blood by putting a run up on the scoreboard in the first inning when Nate Heath scored from third on a two-out bunt single to third by Tyson Hanish. Illinois State tied the game in the top of the third after Lance McMillan reached on a lead-off walk, advanced to second on a passed ball and scored on an RBI single down the left field line by Chris Shepherd.
In the bottom of the fourth, Armando Lara was able to score from second on a hard-hit ball by Brian Kobliska that ricocheted off the left field wall for an RBI double to give UNI the 2-1 lead. A big RBI single to left field by Pickrel tied the game at 2-2 in the sixth inning and a groundout to second base by Molina put the Birds ahead 3-2 with one out. With the bases loaded and still one out, Kevin ODell lined into a double play to the shortstop to retire the side.
Illinois State starter Josh Kauten (3-4) continued to keep the Northern Iowa bats quiet in the bottom of the sixth. Illinois State went down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh and again put the pressure on the Panthers to score in the bottom of the seventh for the win. A big fielding error by Blair at first base allowed UNI leadoff batter Lucas Edwards to reach first. ISU retired the next three batters to pick up the sweep.
Illinois State concludes its series with the Panthers Sunday with a 1 p.m. contest. The game will be available on WJBCs webcast at www.redbirds.org or www.wjbc.com.
