March 25, 2006
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NORMAL, Ill. -
Coming off of a conference-opening win on Friday against the Northern Iowa Panthers, the Illinois State baseball team was looking to feed off momentum in to Saturday's game at Redbird Field. Instead, UNI (12-10) kept ISU (5-14) at bay on its home field and secured a 2-1 victory in the second of a three-game Missouri Valley Conference weekend series between the two teams.
Despite a solid performance on the mound, freshman Ian Berger (2-3) suffered the loss for ISU. Berger gave up two earned runs on six hits and struck out four batters in six plus innings of work, but a lack of offense by the `Birds could not get Berger his third win of the season. UNI's Taylor Sinclair (2-3) pitched a gem to earn his second win of the year, allowing just six hits and one earned run in 7.1 innings on the mound. Nick Kirk shut the game down in the ninth for the Panthers and earned his first save of the season, after forcing Brian Davis to pop up to UNI catcher Nate Trumm to end the game.
The game was a pitching duel for the first five innings and both pitchers seemed to be in control of the game. However, in the top of the sixth inning, the Panthers finally got to Berger and put the first runs of the day on the scoreboard, all off of three doubles.
Brandon Douglas led off the inning with a double down the left field line and later scored when Trumm ripped a one-out double past a diving Kyle O'Brien at first base to make the score 1-0. After Brett Featherston struck out to record the second out of the inning for UNI, Curt Bradley's double into right field scored Trumm to extend the lead to 2-0.
ISU came alive in the bottom of the eighth inning to cut the lead in half at 2-1. Kris Jenkins led off the inning with a double and advanced to third base on a fly out by Matt Bolt to give the Redbirds a runner at third base with just one out. Blake Schoonover then grounded out to second base for the second out of the inning, but it was enough to push Jenkins across the plate for the run and give ISU its first run.
However, that run would be the only one of the day for the `Birds. ISU had a chance in the bottom of the ninth with Kevin Dubler at second base with two outs, but Kirk closed the door and gave the Panthers a 2-1 victory.
Jenkins paced the ISU offense with two hits and a run scored, while Ryan Anetsberger extended his hitting streak to three games with a hit in the sixth inning. Eric Hoffman's two hits led the Panthers on the afternoon, with Trumm and Douglas each recording a hit and scoring a run.
Freshman Jim Sajewich (0-2) will take the mound for the Redbirds in Sunday's series finale with the Panthers in an attempt to earn ISU its first conference series win of the season. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Redbird Field.
