April 30, 2011
Box Score
Post-Game Interview
NORMAL, Ill. -
Tyler McNeely's third home run in three games was all the offense Illinois State (26-13, 6-5 MVC) produced in a 3-1 loss to Indiana State (22-19, 4-7 MVC) in the second game of the series Saturday at Duffy Bass Field. Illinois State was held to only four hits and stranded six runners on base.
McNeely drove in the only Redbird run with a solo home run in the second inning, but Indiana State scored in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings. Josh Colon was the only Redbird with multiple hits with a pair of singles. Dan Savas took the loss, allowing two runs on three hits and four walks in six innings.
Sean Manaea allowed three hits and struck out five in seven innings to earn the win for the Sycamores. Chris Machado threw two scoreless innings for the save.
After retiring the first two batters on just five pitches, Savas lost his control, walking two batters and hitting another to load the bases. Jon Hedges worked a full count before lining out to center field, ending the Sycamore threat without any runs. Illinois State took the first lead in the bottom of the second inning when McNeely hit a line drive down the left field line that cleared the fence for his team-leading ninth home run of the season.
Savas settled down over the next two innings, but ran into some trouble in the fourth when walk and a double put runners on second and third with no outs. A sacrifice groundout to second drove in a run and a groundball to second followed, but the Redbirds were able to cut the runner off at the plate for the second out. A groundout to third ended the inning with the score tied at one.
Colon singled with one out in the fifth and advanced to second on a balk, but a strikeout and a groundout to shortstop left him stranded. Through the fifth inning, each teams had only one run and two hits.
The strong winds helped push another ball deep into left field in the top of the sixth inning, when Hedges hit a long drive over the fence to put the Sycamores ahead, 2-1. Illinois State threatened in the bottom half of the winning, with a pair of walks and a double steal putting Redbirds on second and third with one out. After a strikeout and an intentional walk, Mike Hollenbeck flew out to deep centerfield to end the inning with Indiana State still ahead by a run.
Indiana State added on another run in the seventh inning. With runners on the corners, Robby Ort bunted the ball back to the mound and it bounced just over the reach of Brad Sorkin. Bryan Huff didn't have a play on Orr and the run scored from third, extending the Indiana State lead to 3-1. Colon led off the bottom of the inning with a single, but the next three Redbirds couldn't hit the ball out of the infield.
Two singles and a hit batter gave Indiana State the bases loaded with one out in the ninth, but a double play groundout started by Colon kept the Sycamores from adding any insurance runs. The Redbirds went down in order in their last at-bat. Hollenbeck hit a hard line drive to the right side that Hedges made a nice diving catch on.
The rubber game of the series is Sunday at 1 p.m. at Duffy Bass Field.
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