NORMAL, Ill. - Will Headean matched a career-high with six strikeouts and Illinois State (18-8, 4-2 Missouri Valley Conference) drew 11 walks in a 9-4 midweek victory over Eastern Illinois (7-21, 2-7 Ohio Valley Conference) Tuesday afternoon at Duffy Bass Field.
Headean (1-1) earned his first victory of the season, allowing only an unearned run in six innings. He struck out six, walked three and scattered four hits. Five Eastern Illinois pitchers made appearances and Jake Haberer (0-2) suffered the defeat. He was chased from the game in the second inning and was charged with three runs, all earned, on just one hit. He walked four and struck out one.
Demetre Taylor's RBI-single gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead off Headean in the first.
For the third time over the last two games Illinois State batted around in an inning. The Redbirds sent 11 batters to the plate in the second inning, plating six runs on just two hits. Dennis Colon, Sean Beesley, and Daniel Dwyer drew three-consecutive bases-loaded walks to make it 3-0. Paul DeJong added a two-run single and a sixth run scored on an error.
Headean settled after the first and at one point retired seven-consecutive batters.
DeJong drove home his third run on a triple in the sixth inning to extend the Redbird advantage to 7-1. Both teams scored twice in the eighth inning and the Panthers added a run in the ninth to cap the scoring.
The Redbirds remain home and will host Dallas Baptist Friday night in the first of a three-game Missouri Valley Conference at Duffy Bass Field. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics, tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
