March 19, 2006
Box Score
NORMAL, Ill. -
The Illinois State baseball team was looking to win its first series of the 2006 season on Sunday when the Redbirds brought a 2-1 record from the first three games of a four-game set into the fourth and final game of weekend with the Central Michigan Chippewas. However, the Chippewas (9-8) put the Redbirds in an early hole and went on to claim an 8-2 victory over ISU (4-13) at Redbird Field and earn a 2-2 split for the weekend.
Freshman Jim Sajewich (0-2) suffered the loss for ISU after giving up five runs, four of which were earned, and nine hits in 5.1 innings pitched. Kurt Lauscher (2-2) earned the win for the Chippewas in six innings of work and gave up one earned run and seven hits, while striking out seven ISU hitters in the victory.
The Redbirds jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning when Mike Stalowy smashed a double past CMU third baseman Scott Szpyrka to score Matt Bolt from first base, after he reached first base on error that led off the inning.
But, the Chippewas scored two runs in the top of second inning to take the lead back at 2-1. Ben Humphrey led off the inning with a double to deep center field and advanced to third on the next at-bat when Bryan Mitzel grounded out. After a strikeout by Noah Lankford, Szpyrka hit a two-out double that scored Humphrey to tie the score at 1-1. CMU took the lead when Brian Campbell singled past a diving Stalowy at third base and brought in Szpyrka for a 2-1 lead after two innings.
CMU added its third run of the game in the top of the fifth inning, coming from another two-out hit. After a Cody Allen triple, J.T. Jones' bunt single brought in Allen to increase the Chippewas' lead to 3-1.
After scoring two runs in the top of the sixth inning on two hits and an error, the Redbirds fought back and added a run of their own in the bottom half of the frame. Kyle O'Brien's RBI single scored Jesse Griswold from second base to cut the CMU lead to 5-2. However, the Chippewas put three more runs on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh inning, highlighted by a Bryan Mitzel two-run home run, and put the score in the record books at 8-2.
Ryan Anetsberger finished with three hits on the day, while O'Brien and Stalowy each had an RBI in the defeat. Szpyrka led the Chippewas with three RBI and Troy Moratti went 3-for-5 with an RBI and scored a run to help the CMU to a series split with ISU.
The Redbirds return to action Wednesday, March 22, against the Missouri Tigers for a mid-week game at Redbird Field beginning at 4:00 p.m. The Tigers, who were the No. 20 team in the country at the time, won the first meeting between the two teams 18-5 on March 1 in Columbia, Mo.
