Jon Peacock hit a huge, two-RBI double in the fifth inning of game two which proved to be the game-winner as the Illinois State baseball team splits a doubleheader with Southwest Missouri State Friday to keep their chances for a postseason berth in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament alive. SMS won the first game 4-1, but the Birds held the Bears at bay in a game two 4-3 thrilling victory.
The Redbirds (22-29 overall, 13-17 MVC) got some help Friday from the Bradley Braves as they swept a doubleheader from Creighton to go ahead 3-0 in the series and kept Illinois States chances for that final spot in the Valley postseason tournament alive. With a Creighton loss and a Redbird win Saturday, Illinois State would qualify for the sixth spot.
A throwing error by Illinois State starter Kyle Bloom (4-5) in the top of the first inning of game one came back to haunt the Redbirds as Dante Brinkley took advantage of the error advancing from first to third and later scoring on a sac fly to left field by Brooks Colvin. The Bears (33-20 overall, 18-10 Valley) got another run in the first on an RBI single by Tim Rafferty that put SMS ahead 2-0.
Nate Whitney led off the bottom of the first with a double to right-center, but was left stranded as SMS starter Brad Ziegler retired the next three Redbird batters. Illinois State left runners stranded in the second, third and fourth innings, including bases loaded with two outs in the fourth, but could not manufacture any runs as the score remained 2-0 heading into the fifth.
In the fifth, Brinkley scored Adam Pummill from third on an RBI triple to right-center to put the Bears up 3-0. Illinois State answered in the bottom of the fifth when Chris Shepherd led off the inning with a base hit and later scored on a fielders choice by Jay Molina to narrow the SMS lead to two, 3-1. The Bears got an insurance run in the top of the sixth when Tony Piazza hit an RBI single to left field to go up 4-1, which proved to be the final score as the Redbirds could not spark a rally in the final two innings.
In game two, Illinois State put up its first lead of the series in the bottom of the second inning with a run from Greg Blaesing coming off an RBI double by Kevin ODell to go up 1-0. Redbird starter Josh Kauten (4-4) pitched well through the first six innings of the game keeping SMS without a run and limiting them to just three hits. The Birds used two, SMS errors to their advantage in the bottom of the third with Jeremy Accardo able to score in the inning to put ISU ahead 2-0.
Illinois State continued to build a lead with two more runs in the bottom of the fifth when Jon Peacock sent a two-RBI double to right-center that scored Jeremy Pickrel and Molina respectively. With the 4-0 lead heading into the seventh, Illinois State gave up two runs to the Bears in a situation that saw Kauten load the bases with no outs and walk in the first run. Dave Macdonald came in to relieve Kauten following the walk and limited SMS to just one more run to cut the ISU lead to two, 4-2.
The Bears made things even more interesting in the eighth by scoring another run on an RBI triple to right center with one out and forced the Redbird coaching staff to put Accardo into the game as the closer. Accardo forced two groundouts to end the inning with the Birds ahead still, 4-3.
SMS had a chance in the ninth with Brinkley at second with one out, but Accardo forced Brooks Colvin to fly out to centerfield and Pickrel made a spectacular reaching catch in left field to end the game.
Illinois State concludes its series with the Bears Saturday with a 1 p.m. game. The game will be available to fans via WJBCs webcast with pre-game coverage beginning at 12:30 p.m.
