Jon Peacock went 1-for-4 with a homer and three RBI as the senior made a statement on Senior Day at Redbird Field Saturday leading the Illinois State baseball team past Southwest Missouri State 4-3 to win its final game of the 2003 regular season.
Unfortunately for the Redbirds, Creighton won its regular season finale with a 2-0 victory over Bradley to take the final sixth spot in the 2003 Missouri Valley Conference Postseason Baseball Tournament.
Illinois State finishes the regular season with a 23-29 overall record and a Valley record of 14-17, while SMS closes out the regular season with an overall record of 33-21 and 19-11 in league play. The Redbirds put up eight hits in the game and committed only one error, while the Bears scattered 14 hits with three errors.
Peacock got the game going early for the Redbirds with a one-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the second to put ISU ahead 2-0 and the Birds used an RBI single to centerfield to plate a third run in the second. Illinois State starter Kyle Zaleski (6-5) kept the SMS hitters in check early in the game and kept the Bears scoreless through the six innings of the game.
The Redbirds got their fourth run in the bottom of the third when Jeremy Pickrel was able to score from second on a fielding error by Shaun Marcum at short with two outs to put ISU up 4-0. After an SMS pitching change in the fourth inning, the Birds got no more runs after the change.
SMS cut the Redbird lead in half in the top of the seventh with an RBI single by Dante Brinkley and an RBI double down the left field line. With Dave Macdonald on the mound in relief of Zaleski to start the eighth, SMS loaded the bases with two outs, but Macdonald was able to get Brinkley to fly out to left field to retire the side.
The Bears made things interesting in the ninth with Macdonald giving up a one-out home run down the right field line to narrow the Birds lead to one, 4-3. However, Macdonald struck out Clay Wheeler and Tim Rafferty grounded out to second to end the game.
Prior to the game, Lee Buzz Capra was honored by Illinois State in an emotional ceremony that saw the retirement of his jersey No. 9 and unveiling of the number on the outfield wall at Redbird Field. The four Redbird seniors Peacock, Howie Frank, Kevin ODell and Lance McMillan were all honored before the game as well.
