March 27, 2009
Box Score
NORMAL, Ill. - Tyler McNeely drove in four runs and scored another three while helping Illinois State top Indiana State 11-6 in Missouri Valley Conference play at Duffy Bass Field Friday.
McNeely went 3-for-5 and finished a home run away from the cycle as the Redbirds (11-7, 3-1 MVC) collected 14 hits and provided plenty of run support for Illinois State starter Ryan Camp. Camp (2-1) earned his first Valley win by limiting the Sycamores (14-10, 1-3 MVC) to three runs over seven innings.
Camp, a freshman from Mapleton, Ill., surrendered two runs on four consecutive hits in the first inning but settled down to turn in his second quality, Friday night start. Camp held Indiana State to three hits over his final six innings and struck out four batters in the game.
Illinois State had fits against Indiana State starter Eric Valdez (1-2) the first time through the order, collecting just two hits and no runs until Corey Maines led off the third inning with a solo home run. Anthony Ruffolo supplied a sacrifice fly later in the inning to score McNeely and tie the game.
The Redbirds added three more runs in the fourth with the help of an RBI double by McNeely and exploded for six runs in the bottom of the fifth thanks in part to a bases clearing triple by McNeely.
Indiana State plated a run in the top of the fifth on a two-out, solo blast by Luke Fieser and added tagged the Redbirds for three unearned runs in the top of the ninth. Fieser finished 2-for-2, scored two runs and walked twice for the Sycamores.
Maines finished the game 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. Mike Stalowy and Matt Mirabal also had multi-hit games, as both had two hits. Every player in Illinois State's lineup had a hit in Friday's game.
Illinois State and Indiana State will attempt to play Saturday at 2 p.m., though weather conditions were expected to deteriorate overnight. The Redbirds and Sycamores will conclude the series Sunday at 1 p.m.
