JONESBORO, Ark. – The Illinois State baseball team started the 2015 season with a win Friday night as the Redbirds scored a 3-0 shutout victory over host Arkansas State at Kell Field.
The Redbirds made Bo Durkac a winner in his head coaching debut, as starter Will Headean pitched six shutout innings, allowing just one hit and three walks, while striking out six. Steve Heilenbach pitched the final three innings, allowing just one hit and one walk against four strikeouts, to record the first save of his career.
"It was a good win," Durkac said. "I thought we prepared well, but ultimately it has nothing to do with me. It had everything to with those two pitchers today: Will Headean and Steve Heilenbach."
The strong pitching performances aided a Redbird offense that managed just three hits. The Redbirds added six walks, however, and took advantage of three Arkansas State errors.
The Redbirds opened the scoring in the third frame when DeJong hit a two-out RBI double to plate Sean Beesley, who had reached on a walk.
Illinois State later loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth inning to chase Arkansas State starter David Owen. Reliever Austin Aspergen hit Brian Rodemoyer with a pitch to score DeJong, and the Redbirds made it a 3-0 lead moments later when a Jean Ramirez fielder's choice scored Logan Leverett.
Headean did not allow a hit over the first four innings. He stranded a pair of baserunners in the fifth inning and recorded three straight outs after allowing a leadoff walk in the sixth inning.
Heilenbach was equally efficient as he allowed only three baserunners. The closest the Red Wolves came to threatening the Redbirds was in the eighth inning, when the hosts brought the tying run to the plate, but Heilenbach forced a groundout to end the inning.
Heilenbach pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning, with a pair of strikeouts, to finish off the win.
Illinois State returns to action tomorrow with a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. Right-handers Matt Lambert and Jack Landwehr will get the starting pitching assignments for the Redbirds.
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