March 11, 2007
Final Stats
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -
The Illinois State baseball team headed into Sunday's series finale looking for a three-game sweep over the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks. However, for eight innings it looked like the `Birds would drop the final game of the weekend until senior outfielder Matt Bolt launched a go-ahead two-run home run to propel the Redbirds (6-6) to a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over the Redhawks (7-6). ISU has now won four-straight games, all on the road.
The win marked ISU's fourth comeback victory of the season and sealed the team's first series sweep over an opponent since May 6-8, 2005 when the `Birds took three games at home against Indiana State. Senior left-hander Kyle O'Brien (1-0) earned his first collegiate victory in relief as he two and two-thirds innings of scoreless baseball, allowing just one hit while striking out two. SEMO closer Ivan Nails (0-1) suffered the loss, after giving up Bolt's go-ahead home run in the ninth inning.
ISU head coach Jim Brownlee sensed that his team still had something left at the end of the game.
"I never thought we were going to lose that game because I could just sense it in the dugout," said Brownlee. "Our players are very confident right now and won't give up. I don't think we are ever going to feel we are completely out of a game the way our offense is performing. You can't write a win like this any better than it happened with O'Brien and Bolt, two of our senior leaders, picking us up and leading us to the sweep."
SEMO came out swinging, as the Redhawks scored three runs on three hits in the bottom of the first inning to take a quick 3-0 lead. Omar Padilla got the scoring started with a RBI single that scored Nick Harris and Dustin Pritchett later followed with a two-run home run to plate Padilla and give SEMO the three-run lead.
After three scoreless innings by both squads, the Redhawks put a run on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning when Tyler Cox walked Matt Wulfers with the bases loaded to score Padilla and bring the score to 4-0. The Redbirds would come back and end the shutout attempt in the top of the sixth, when Kevin Konsler doubled off the left field wall with two outs to score Ryan Anetsberger and cut the lead to 4-1.
The Redbirds would then score two runs in the top of the seventh inning to cut the lead to one run at 4-3. With runners on second and third and no outs, Collin Salzenstein brought home Kyle O'Brien on a RBI ground out for the first run of the inning. Matt Bolt then followed with a sacrifice fly to centerfield, which scored Kyle Cherney from third base for the second run of the inning.
Heading into the ninth inning, SEMO was still hanging on to the one-run lead at 4-3. In the top of the ninth, Cherney led off with a single and then advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt form Salzenstein. Then, with one out and Cherney on second base, Bolt came up to the plate and hit a go-ahead two-run home run over the right field wall to put ISU up 5-4. The home run was Bolt's second of the series, his team-leading fourth of the season and his fourth longball in five games.
O'Brien held on in the ninth to record the win, giving him both a win and a save on the weekend. Bolt finished the day 1-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored, while Cherney and Anetsberger each added two hits in the win. Nick Harris and Padilla led the way for SEMO with two hits apiece.
ISU continues its current eight-game spring trip when it squad to Memphis, Tenn., to take on the Memphis Tigers. The two-game series will start on Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Nat Buring Stadium.
