April 28, 2007
Box Score
PEORIA, Ill. -
In Friday's series opener against Bradley, six errors cost the Illinois State baseball team the game. On Saturday, the Redbirds (18-22, 8-9 MVC) were error free, but left 12 runners on base and could only muster four runs as the Braves (22-16, 6-8 MVC) took the second game of the series, 7-4, at O'Brien Field. ISU had plenty of chances to score, but left men in scoring position in eight of nine innings during the afternoon contest.
ISU starter Mike Hlavacek (2-2) suffered the loss after allowing four earned runs on eight hits in four innings of work. Bradley's Collin Brennan (2-5) earned the win, after allowing just one earned run on seven hits in six innings on the mound. Brad Altbach pitched the last three innings for the Braves and allowed three runs, but picked up his second save of the season.
For the second time in two days, Bradley jumped out to an early lead in the first inning. With one out, Paul Rice hit a solo home run into right-centerfield to put BU up 1-0. Back-to-back singles by Ryan Curry and Justin Carr kept the inning rolling and then Curry advanced to third base on a wild pitch by Hlavacek. Ryan Eigsti then flew out to centerfield, which allowed Curry to score and gave Bradley a 2-0 lead.
The Braves tacked on two more runs on three hits, all with two outs, in the bottom of the third inning to widen their lead to 4-0. A RBI triple off the bat of Eigsti plated Carr for the first run and Eigsti later scored on a Colby Luttrell RBI single.
In the top of the seventh inning, the Redbirds finally got on the board with two runs to cut the Bradley lead in half at 4-2. Matt Bolt led off the inning with a walk, which ended Brennan's day, and Ryan Anetsberger later doubled into left-centerfield to give ISU runners on second and third with just one out. Bolt then scored on a sacrifice fly to centerfield by Kevin Dubler to plate the first run of the game. Jesse Griswold was due up next and singled to score Anetsberger from second base to bring ISU within two runs.
Bradley came right back in the bottom of the seventh and scored three runs of their own, though, and widened their lead to 7-2. With the bases loaded and one out, Luttrell singled through the right side of the infield to score two runs and later scored on a Mike McMillan double down the left field line to plate the third run of the inning.
The Redbirds answered right back with a run in the top of the eighth inning on a Collin Salzenstein RBI single to cut the BU lead to 7-3. ISU tacked on one run in the top of the ninth inning to make the score 7-4, but that would be as close as the `Birds would get. Salzenstein and Griswold each finished with three hits in the game for ISU, while Luttrell led the way for BU with two hits and three RBI.
Sunday's series finale between the two teams will begin at 6 p.m. at O'Brien Field. Freshman Ryan Copeland (3-2) will start for the Redbirds, hoping to avoid the series sweep from their in-state rivals.
