Matt Fowles and Eric Theisen gave up only three hits and struck out 12 Cornell hitters as Illinois State ended its spring trip with a 2-1 win over the Cornell Big Red Saturday night in Sarasota, Fla., at Twin Lakes Field, the Baltimore Orioles spring training facility.
Fowles (3-0) went six innings in the game, allowing only two hits and no runs while striking out six. Theisen came on to pitch the final three innings of the game, allowing only one hit and one unearned run. Theisen struck out the side in the ninth, giving him six strikeouts in the game.
In the last two games, both 2-1 Redbird wins, the pitching staff has given up only four hits and recorded 18 strikeouts for Illinois State.
Taking the loss for Cornell (2-2) was Rocky Collis (0-1), who went five innings and struck out five while giving up one earned run.
The Redbirds (8-9) would get on the board first in the bottom of the third as Kyle OBrien got the inning started with a double to left. Blake Schoonover moved OBrien to third with a ground ball out to bring up Brian Davis. Davis hit the ball right back to Collis, who was going to be able to keep OBrien at third, however Collis sailed his throw well over the head of the Cornell first baseman, allowing OBrien to score and Davis to move all the way around to third. Kris Jenkins would then ground out to second, giving the Birds their second run of the inning and a 2-0 lead after three.
Cornell would get their only run in the eighth. With a runner on third and two outs, Ryan Anetsberger mishandled a ball at short allowing the run to score and cutting the ISU lead to 2-1 after the top of the eighth.
The game with Cornell ends Illinois State's spring trip in which the 'Birds finished at 4-3 on the week. The Redbirds will next be in action on Wednesday, March 23, when they play their home opener at Redbird Field against the University of Missouri at 3:00 p.m. The game with the Tigers will begin an 10-game homestand for ISU.
