Junior Kris Jenkins went 3-5 with five RBI and senior Ned Schauff gave up only one run in six-plus innings as Illinois State pounded Fairleigh Dickinson 12-2 in Bradenton, Florida at the IMG Academies. The victory was the 750th career win for Illinois State head coach Jim Brownlee, who is one of the 35 active winningest coaches in Division I.
Schauff (1-1) was stellar on the mound for ISU, as he did not give up a hit until the fifth inning. On the day, the left-hander went 6.1 innings, allowing only five hits and one earned run while striking out six. John O'Hara (0-1) took the loss for Fairleigh Dickinson (0-2), as he lasted three innings and gave up eight earned runs.
Sophomore Matt Bolt got ISU (5-7) on the board in the bottom of the first inning, as he crushed a home run to deep rightfield. The 'Birds would add four more in the second, as Kris Jenkins doubled with the bases loaded to make it 5-0 after two. In the third inning, Chris Frank and Ryan Anetsberger each hit sac flies and the Redbirds led 8-0 after the third.
Fairleigh Dickinson would get on the board with one in the seventh and one in the eighth, but the Redbirds tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to win the game 12-2.
Illinois State will play its third game of the eight-game trip tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. CST, when the Redbirds take on Bucknell at the IMG Academy Baseball Fields. Matt Fowles (1-0) will make the start for ISU.
