May 19, 2007
Box Score
WICHITA, Kan. -- The Illinois State baseball team played 50 games in the 2007 season without being shut out, but wrapped up the season by getting shut out in their final two games, as the No. 12 Wichita State Shockers (46-17, 20-4 MVC) used two pitchers to shut out the Redbirds (20-32, 8-16 MVC) by a score of 6-0 in front of 4,176 fans on Senior Day at Eck Stadium on Saturday.
The win clinched the 2007 regular-season Missouri Valley Conference title for the Shockers, after Missouri State defeated Creighton 4-3 earlier in the day to break the tie at the top of the Valley standings.
ISU starter Eric Theisen (3-9) was solid for most of the game for the Redbirds, as he allowed just two earned runs on four hits through the first seven innings of the game. However, he ran into some trouble in the eighth inning and three errors by the Redbird defense allowed four unearned runs to cross the plate, saddling Theisen with the loss. WSU starter Anthony Capra (6-0) earned the win, after allowing just two hits while striking out eight through eight innings of work. Aaron Shafer then came on to strike out the side in the ninth inning to secure the win for the Shockers.
Redbird head coach Jim Brownlee was proud of the way Theisen battled on Saturday and hoped the outcome would have been better for his hurting junior pitcher.
"Eric was great on the mound for the first seven innings and for him to battle his elbow problems like that was gutsy," said Brownlee. "He's going to have surgery here in the next couple of days and he really deserved a better outcome than we gave him in the eighth inning. But, Wichita State showed why they were the regular-season champs and shut us out for eighteen innings."
Wichita State jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning courtesy of two hits off Theisen. Matt Brown led off the inning with an infield singled and then scored all the way from first base on a double by Conor Gillaspie over the head of ISU centerfielder Mike Tokarski for the first run of the game. Gillaspie later advanced to third base on a ground out by Josh Workman and then scored on a Tyler Hill groundout, just sliding underneath the tag of Redbird catcher Kevin Dubler at home plate.
The Shockers were quiet again until the eighth inning, when three Redbird errors led to four unearned runs as Wichita State widened its lead to 6-0. Gillaspie drove in the first two runs of the inning on a single through the right side of the infield and pinch-hitter Blake Hurlbutt forced in the third run with a bases-loaded walk off reliever Kyle O'Brien. The final run of the inning was scored when Tyler Weber reached on a fielder's choice, as the `Birds committed their third error of the frame.
