May 16, 2010
Box Score
NORMAL, Ill. -
Illinois State (26-20, 14-4 MVC) erased a two-run deficit late in the game, but couldn't capitalize on its chances in extra innings to complete the comeback victory. Bradley (18-29, 6-12 MVC) won the final game of the three-game series, 8-7, in 14 innings Sunday afternoon.
Illinois State scored a run in the seventh and eighth innings to erase a two-run Bradley lead and scored in the 13th to tie the score again. ISU had runners in scoring position in five of the final six innings and couldn't come up with the game-winning hit, stranding 18 runners in the game.
Kenny Long took the loss for ISU, despite throwing a season-high 6.1 innings. Long held Bradley scoreless for 5.2 of those innings, but surrendered a run in the 13th inning and the decisive run in the 14th inning. Ty Wiesemeyer led the Redbirds at the plate with a 3-for-6, 2 RBI performance.
Bradley pushed across a run in the top of the first inning to take the lead. Rob Elliott drew a walk and then stole second, setting up cleanup hitter Brain Sullivan, who hit a bouncing groundball right back through the middle to drive in the run.
Illinois State put four runs on the scoreboard in the top of the second inning off Bradley starter Kori Jensen. A pair of walks gave ISU runners on first and second with one out and Chad Hinshaw hit a sharp grounder just inside of third base for a double, driving in a run. Kevin Tokarski followed with a two-run single through the right side, then stole second base and scored on a single up the middle by Wiesemeyer.
Illinois State starter J.D. Learnard held Bradley to just one run and two hits through the first four innings, but ran into some trouble in the fifth inning. He walked the leadoff batter David Compitello and then he advanced to third on a balk and a wild pitch. After another walk, Learnard committed his second balk of the inning, allowing Compitello to score. Cam Verbeke came on in relief and gave up a single up the middle to drive in another run.
Bradley scored two runs in the sixth inning to take the lead and a solo home run in the seventh inning extended the advantage to 6-4. All three runs were allowed by relief pitcher Ryan Copeland.
Wiesemeyer led off the bottom half of the seventh inning with a double, but after a strikeout and a flyout, it looked as though he may be stranded there. Ryan Court drove a double into the gap in right center, scoring Wiesemeyer and pulling the Redbirds within a run.
In the eighth inning, a hit batter, a single and a walk loaded the bases for ISU with one out. Wiesemeyer hit a sacrifice fly deep to center field, scoring pinch runner Jake Thornton. Bretty Kay was tagged out trying to advance to third, ending the inning and keeping the score tied at six. Anthony Ruffolo hit a double with one out in the ninth inning, but the Redbirds couldn't bring him home, sending the game into extra innings.
Both teams had their chances to score in extra innings. Illinois State put a runner in scoring position with one out in each of the first three extra innings, but couldn't score. Bradley loaded the bases in the 11th and had a one-out double in the 12th, but couldn't push a run across either.
In the top of the 13th inning, Matt Fritz reached on a fielding error by Tokarski and was sacrificed over to second base. After an intentional walk and a ground out that failed to advance the runners, Phil Kaiser hit a single to left field, scoring Fritz and giving Bradley the lead, 7-6.
Needing a run to stay alive, Court reached base on a fielding error by the third baseman to start off the ISU half of the 13th. He was sacrificed over to second and Thornton drove him home with a double off the base of the wall in right center field, tying the game.
The game did not stay tied for long, as Bradley's Mike McMillan hit the second pitch of the 14th inning into right center, past a diving Wiesemeyer, for a triple. Compitello singled the next offering from Long sharply through the left side, sending McMillan home with the eventual winning run. Illinois State went down in order in the bottom of the inning to end the game.
Illinois State is on the road to close out the regular season. The Redbirds visit Evansville for a three-game series May 20-22.
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