March 14, 2007
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -
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The Illinois State baseball team has been in some crazy, back-and-forth contests this season, but Wednesday's game with Memphis certainly overwhelms all the others. In a game where both teams combine for 28 runs and 29 hits, the Redbirds (7-7) battled and defeated the Tigers (9-6) by a score of 15-13 at Nat Buring Stadium. The win was the fifth in six games on the road for the Redbirds and the fourth on their spring break trip.
Freshman Jake Wielebnicki (1-0) earned the win for ISU, after pitching an inning of relief and giving up just one run on one hit while striking out two batters. It was Wielebnicki's first game action on the mound in over two years, after coming back from an injury coming out of high school. Matt Yokley (3-1) suffered the loss for Memphis after giving up four earned runs in two and a third innings on the mound.
Redbird head coach Jim Brownlee was proud of the way his team battle on Wednesday, but wasn't quite sure how to explain what happened in the wild contest.
"I can't even describe nine errors, 29 hits and 28 runs," said Brownlee. "It's just nice to be on the winning side of this one, because the feeling in the other dugout can't be good. Our offense really picked up our pitching staff and defense today and we beat a very good team in Memphis. I have never seen a team hit the ball as hard as we did for nine innings in a long time and that's a great sign for the rest of the road trip and the season. "
Memphis took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Will Petersen scored on a RBI single into left field by Adam Amar. In the top of the third inning, the Redbirds battled back to take the lead on three runs on two hits and one costly error. After Collin Salzenstein reached on an infield single, Matt Bolt and Ryan Anetsberger each reached on bunt singles, ISU had the bases loaded with no outs.
Kevin Dubler then followed and hit a long fly ball into left-center field and Memphis centerfielder K.K. Chalmers dropped the ball, allowing Salzenstein and Bolt to score for the first two runs of the inning. After a balk by Cupples allowed Anetsberger and Dubler to advance to third and second base, respectively, Anetsberger scored on a Jesse Griswold sacrifice fly to left field to put the `Birds up by two runs at 3-1.
Memphis would get one of those runs back in the bottom of the inning on a RBI groundout by Bill Moss and cut the ISU lead to 3-2 after three innings of play. ISU would get add two runs in the top of the fourth inning on a two-run home run by Anetsberger to take a 5-2 lead. The home run was Anetsberger's second of the season and fifth in his career at ISU. The `Birds would then add a run in the top of the fifth inning on a RBI single by Kyle O'Brien, which brought the score to 6-2 in favor of ISU.
However, a three-run home run by Memphis second baseman Bill Moss in the bottom of the fifth inning would cut the ISU lead to one at 6-5. ISU would answer in the top half of the sixth inning with three runs, however, to widen its lead to 9-5. Bolt scored on a sacrifice fly by Dubler for the first run of the inning and Anetsberger scored on a RBI single by Griswold to plate the second run. After Griswold advanced to second base on a stolen base and then moved to third on a wild pitch, O'Brien doubled into left-center field to score Griswold.
Memphis would answer back with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game 9-9. All of the runs were credited to freshman Dan Weston, who came into the game in relief of ISU starter Dan Sorce. ISU would score a run in the top of the seventh inning on a Bolt RBI double down the right field line to regain the lead once again at 10-9
Once again, the Tigers answered with a run in the bottom of the seventh inning as Wielebnicki hit Moss with the bases loaded to push the tying run across the plate and make the score 10-10 after seven innings. As the scoring rollercoaster continued, the Redbirds regained the lead in the top of the eighth inning on a three-run home run by O'Brien, bringing the score to 13-10 in favor of the Redbirds. The home run was O'Brien's first of the season and the runs marked the seventh-consecutive inning in which ISU scored at least one run.
After a scoreless bottom half of the eighth inning, the `Birds plated two more runs on a one-out Kevin Konsler double down the left field line to widen the lead to 15-10 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning. O'Brien, who came on in relief in the eighth inning for ISU, gave up a three-run home run to Moss which brought Memphis within two runs at 15-13. However, he held on to record his third save of the season and preserved the wild 15-13 ISU victory.
Following a travel day on Thursday, the Redbirds will return to action on Friday in St. Louis, Mo., where they face the Saint Louis Billikens in the first of three games over the weekend. Game time for Friday is scheduled for 2 p.m.
