April 1, 2009
Box Score
NORMAL, Ill. - Mike Stalowy went 3-for-3 with two RBI and Jake Thornton drove in a career-high three runs as the Redbirds rolled to a, 9-6, mid-week, non-conference win over Iowa at Duffy Bass Field Wednesday night.
Stalowy collected drove in both of his runs along with one by Thornton in a six-run outburst by Illinois State (12-7, 3-1 MVC) in the bottom of the second inning. All but one of Illinois State's batters scored a run in the game as the team posted nine runs on nine hits. The Redbirds were aided by eight walks and one Iowa error.
Corey Maines made a mid-week start after his regularly scheduled Sunday start against Indiana State in Missouri Valley Conference play was washed out. Maines was on a 40-pitch limit but scattered three hits over three innings to earn his fifth win of the season. Ryan Copeland also made a rare mid-week appearance and worked two scoreless innings following Maines and Kyle Nelson.
Illinois State added three runs in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 9-3 ball game but the Hawkeyes scored a run and loaded the bases against Matt Werderitch in the top of the eighth with no outs. Illinois State head coach Jim Brownlee went to the bullpen once again and put Jim Sajewich on the mound with a 9-4 advantage. Iowa tagged the Redbirds for two more runs but Sajewich escaped the jam with three strikeouts and worked a scoreless ninth to earn his first save of the season.
Thornton finished the game 2-for-4 and joined Stalowy and Matt Mirabal (2-for-4) as Redbirds with multiple hits. Collin Salzenstein also drove in a pair of runs for Illinois State.
Three of Iowa's six runs came via home runs as T.J. Cataldo became the first opposing player to homer off Maines with a solo shot in the second and Ryan Durant hit a two-run blast to straight-away center in the fifth off Nelson. Cataldo finished the game 3-for-4 with two runs scored while Durant finished 3-for-4 with four RBI. Iowa starter Zach Robertson gave up six runs and walked four in 1.2 innings and was tagged with the loss.
Illinois State hits the road and resumes Valley play with the Wichita State Shockers at Eck Stadium. The Redbirds and Shockers begin a pivotal three-game series Friday night at 7 p.m. with Illinois State's Ryan Camp expected to face Wichita State's Tim Kelley. The teams will play at 2 p.m. Saturday and conclude the series at 1 p.m. Sunday.
