Jon Peacock went 3-for-4 with a homer and four RBI and Illinois State starter Todd Stein recorded a career-high nine strikeouts as the Redbird baseball team won its first Missouri Valley Conference game on a Friday this season against Indiana State, 8-5, at Redbird Field in Normal, Ill.
"I felt like I had good stuff tonight," said Stein. "It wasnt my best, but it worked tonight. I really went out there and battled and it paid off. I am glad that the team was able to rally around me to pick up the win."
Illinois State improves to 16-25 overall and 7-13 in Valley play, while Indiana State drops its overall record to 29-14 overall and 10-11 in the league. The Redbirds totaled 12 hits in the game, while Indiana State had 11.
"Todd pitched really well for us tonight and our bats were really on tonight with timely hitting," said Illinois State head coach Jim Brownlee. "We havent won any Valley games on Friday up to this point in the season, so this is a very big win for us.
Stein got out of a big jam in the top of the first inning with the bases loaded and two outs as Jeremy Hatler sent a bouncing ball straight to Lance McMillan for the unassisted putout at first base. The Redbirds jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when McMillan hit an infield, RBI single to short that scored Jeremy Accardo from third.
After a scoreless second inning, the Sycamores plated two with back-to-back RBI singles by Chris Hall and Hatler respectively to take a 2-1 lead. Illinois State tied the game, 2-2, in the bottom of the third when Peacock brought home Jay Molina from second with an RBI single to left-center. Indiana State got two more runs in the top of the fourth inning off a fielding error by Accardo and a balk by Stein that gave the Sycamores ahead by two, 4-2, after four innings of play.
In the top of the fifth, another costly fielding error at third base by Chris Shepherd allowed Indiana State another run with two outs to give the Sycamores a 5-2 advantage. A two-run homer to right field by Peacock with two outs in the bottom of the fifth narrowed the Indiana State lead to one, 5-4.
Stein seemed to get hotter as the game wore on recording five strikeouts in the sixth and seventh innings. Chris Shepherd gave the Birds a big lift in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI double down the left field line that sent McMillan across the plate and Peacock was able to score on the same play as a result of a throwing error by Hatler, the Sycamore left fielder, to give Illinois State back the lead, 6-5.
Accardo came in to relieve Stein to start the eighth inning. With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the eighth, McMillan drew an RBI walk off Sycamore reliever Brian Omogrosso to give the Birds an insurance run to their lead, 7-5. Peacock drew in another run in the eighth with a sac bunt to put the Redbirds ahead, 8-5, heading into the ninth inning.
After loading the bases in the top of the ninth with one out, Accardo was able to turn a 1-6-3 double play to seal the victory.
Illinois State continues its series with Indiana State Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. The first game will be seven innings, while the nightcap will be a nine-inning affair.
