May 22, 2010
Box Score
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Illinois State will have to settle for a share of the regular-season Missouri Valley Conference crown after dropping a 9-5 decision to Evansville in the season finale at Braun Stadium Saturday. The Redbirds finished the conference schedule tied for first with Wichita State at 15-6 in league games for the program's first-ever regular-season MVC title.
The Evansville Purple Aces (30-25, 10-11 MVC) got the senior day sendoff they were looking for, much to the chagrin of Illinois State (27-22, 15-6 MVC), as senior relievers Corey Davisson and Tom Heithoff held off the Redbirds. Evansville scored nine runs on just four hits as Illinois State pitchers issued seven walks and hit three batters in Saturday's game.
Illinois State jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two and a half innings, but the Purple Aces scored nine unanswered runs to hand the Redbirds just their second conference-series loss, 2-1, during the season's final weekend.
Redbird starter JD Learnard sped through the first two innings, but after inducing a groundball out to leadoff the third, hit two batters and loaded the bases when he walked Greg Wallace. Learnard got Evansville slugger Cody Fick to fly out to left, a sacrifice that scored Alex Acheson for the Aces first run. Learnard walked Trentt Copeland to load the bases again and was tagged for a grand slam by Nate Smith.
Evansville led 5-4 after the ill-fated inning and added three more in the fourth and a single run in the bottom of the sixth. Illinois State's only answer was a solo home run by Ryan Court to lead off the seventh. Ryan Copeland was Illinois State's most effective pitcher and struck out four in two perfect innings of relief. Court and Zach Amrein each had two hits for the Redbirds.
Davisson struck out four and limited Illinois State to two runs on six hits after replacing Purple Aces' starter Josh Biggs in the third. He earned his eighth win of the season. Heithoff allowed a single hit to ISU's Chad Hinshaw in two innings to close the game. Smith's grand slam was his only hit of the game, but he added another RBI when he drew a walk with the bases loaded in the fourth.
Illinois State will be the No. 2 seed in next week's State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. The Redbirds are expected to face the No. 7 seed Bradley at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday in the opening round at Eck Stadium in Wichita, Kan. A full bracket with potential game times will be available later at www.MVC-Sports.com.
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