March 26, 2008
Final Stats
NORMAL, Ill. -
For the second-straight day, freshman Ronnie Calvird and junior Kevin Dubler led the Illinois State offense but once again it wasn't enough. The Illinois State baseball team (9-10) fought back to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh inning but fell, 7-5, in 11 innings to in-state rival Eastern Illinois Wednesday at Duffy Bass Field.
Calvird finished the game 2-for-5 with two RBI and Dubler ended the day 2-for-4 with one RBI, but the Redbirds surrendered a two-run home run to first baseman Tristan Facer in the top of the 11 inning off relief pitcher Kyle Nelson (0-1), who suffered his first loss of the season. Junior Mike Stalowy also had a solid day at the plate, batting 1-for-2 and tying his career-high with three walks. In his second start of the season, junior Quinn Ewert threw 6.2 innings, surrendering three runs (two earned) on five hits while striking out a career-high five batters in the no-decision.
The Redbirds also saw offensive output from senior Kyle Cherney, who finished the day 1-for-3 with two walks.
After falling behind 3-2 after 6 ½ innings, the Redbirds rallied in the bottom of the seventh. Senior Kevin Konsler was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and sophomore Tyler McNeely pinch ran for the right fielder. McNeely then stole second, and moved to third on a wild pitch to move into scoring position. Pinch hitter Anthony Ruffolo followed with a single to left field, scoring McNeely, which tied the game at 3-3. The Redbirds captured their first lead of the game, 5-3, after Calvird hit a double off the wall in left center field to score Stalowy and sophomore Cole Marty.
But Eastern Illinois rallied to tie the game in the top of the eighth, after junior Dan Sorce walked the bases loaded with only one out. Senior Eric Theisen entered the game, and surrendered an RBI single to second baseman Jordan Tokarz, who finished the game 4-for-6. Tokarz's single in the hole to shortstop was muffed by freshman Kevin Tokarski, allowing another run to score and tie the game at 5-5.
Theisen was able to keep the `Birds in the game, after pitching two more innings of scoreless relief. But after the Redbirds were unable to get anything going in the batter's box in the bottom of the ninth and 10th innings, the Panthers came up in the top of the 12th. Tokarz led off the inning with a single, and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. The stage was set for Facer, who took a 1-0 pitch from Nelson deep over the left field wall to give the Panthers' the lead, 7-5. The Redbirds failed to reach base in the 11th inning, as relief pitcher Richie Derbak retired the `Birds in order to end the game.
"We didn't play very good baseball today. We walked the bases loaded in the eighth inning after we grabbed the lead at 5-3," said head coach Jim Brownlee. "Everybody was battling, but we made some mistakes on the mound and on the base paths. We were unable to knock the ball down after a single and allowed them to tie the game. But we're a young team, and sometimes those things happen."
After EIU grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, the Redbirds came back to tie the game at 1-1. Cherney led off the inning with a walk, and moved to third base after two wild pitches from starting pitcher Mike Recchia. Freshman Corey Maines brought Cherney home on a sacrifice fly to right field.
The Panthers re-gained the lead after scoring runs in the third and fourth innings. Illinois State cut into the deficit in the bottom of the sixth, when Dubler drilled his second triple of the season, a line drive to right field that scored Calvird, who reached base on a fielder's choice.
Illinois State will travel to Omaha, Neb., to face Creighton in a three-game Missouri Valley Conference series. Game one is set for Friday at 4 p.m. at The Creighton Sports Complex.
