Jeremy Accardo went 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI, but the Illinois State baseball team could not overcome six errors in the field and 17 Iowa hits as the Hawkeyes left Redbird Field with an 11-4 win Wednesday in Normal.
The Redbirds fall to 9-16 overall, while Iowa improves to 9-13 on the year. Illinois State managed only seven hits in the game and was unable to score until the fifth inning after the Hawkeyes had built a 7-0 advantage. Jay Molina finished the night 1-for-2 with two RBI, the RBI coming in the eighth inning after recording a double down the right field line with two outs and two runners on base.
"We just seem to be going backwards instead of forward," said Illinois State head coach Jim Brownlee. "We had way too many errors tonight and when you play like that, it is just really embarrassing. When you have a home game against a team like Iowa, you cant turn in as many errors as hits.
"I dont think we can change anything in the line-up, but it gets really frustrated when none of our guys can make the routine plays," continued Brownlee. " I just dont have an answer. The coaches and players just arent doing their jobs, but we have to keep playing and trying to improve."
Kyle Thousand singled up the left field line off Illinois State starter Brady Salter (0-3) to lead off the game before Jeff Gremley snagged a base hit of his own to land runners on first and third for Iowa. A groundout to the shortstop by Nate Yoho plated Thousand for the Hawkeyes as they led 1-0 after one inning of play logging three hits.
The Hawkeyes took a more commanding lead, 4-0, after two hits and three runs scored in the third inning. Thousand led off with a stand-up double and advanced to third on a sac bunt by Gremley. An error on Redbird first baseman Jon Peacock plated both Iowa base runners
The first hit for Illinois State came in the bottom of the third after Jeremy Accardo ripped a two-out single to left field. However, he was out when Jeremy Pickrel grounded into a fielders choice in the next at-bat.
A routine groundout to third base should have ended the top of the fourth inning, but Jake Blair bobbled the ball and got tagged with the error, which led to a two-out, three-run homer by Yoho which put the Hawkeyes up 7-0 after four innings of play.
Three Redbirds hits in the fifth inning put two runs on the board for Illinois State to make the score 8-2, highlighted by RBI single to right field by Accardo. However, Iowa scored two runs in the sixth and one run in the seventh to take an 11-2 lead and even with the two runs by the Birds in the eighth, the game was never in reach.
Illinois State continues its Missouri Valley Conference schedule on Friday, April 11, at 6 p.m. with a game against Brownlees former team, the Evansville Aces. The Friday game opens the four-game series, which will have a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday followed by a 1 p.m. match-up Sunday.
