DALLAS – The Illinois State baseball team held a pair of late leads but No. 15 Dallas Baptist tied it in the eighth inning and won it in walk-off fashion in the ninth Saturday at Joan & Andy Horner Ballpark.
Dallas Baptist's Daniel Salters hit a two-out, walk-off single to right field off ISU reliever Ryan Koziol in the bottom of the ninth to score Tagg Duce and give the hosts a 6-5 win.
"We almost have to play a perfect game against a team like that to beat them," said Illinois State head coach Bo Durkac. "We didn't and that's why we lost 6-5 today."
Illinois State (11-12, 0-2 MVC) scored two runs in the top of the first inning for the second day in a row when Jared Hendren was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Sean Beesley followed with a run-scoring fielder's choice.
The Redbirds doubled their run total in the fourth with a two-run home run from Daniel Dwyer, after Dennis Colon led off the inning with a single.
Illinois State starter Jacob Hendren did not allow a run until Dallas Baptist's David Martinelli hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning. The hosts then tied it the following inning with a two-out, two-run double from Duce.
Illinois State reclaimed the lead in the eighth inning after loading the bases with no outs. Jared Hendren drew a bases-loaded walk to push the Redbirds back ahead, but they were unable to get anything more as Beesley lined into an inning-ending double play.
Dallas Baptist (21-3, 4-1) came back to tie it again in the bottom half of the inning, with a two-out, RBI single from Drew Turbin. The Patriots then won it in the ninth after Duce reached on an error and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Trooper Reynolds was intentionally walked, setting up Salters' game-winning single.
Jacob Hendren allowed seven hits and two runs over six innings of work for his sixth-straight quality start. Hendren walked two and struck out five. He was relieved by Steve Heilenbach, who allowed two runs over two-thirds of an inning. Jake Sale allowed one run over 1.1 innings of work before giving way to Koziol, who suffered the pitching loss after allowing the unearned run in the ninth inning.
Dwyer led the Redbird offense, going 2-for-4 with a single, two walks and his first home run of the season. He drove in two runs and scored three. Jean Ramirez and Colon collected two hits each. Jared Hendren drove in two runs without the benefit of a hit.
The Redbirds return to Joan & Andy Horner Ballpark Sunday for the finale of the three-game series with Dallas Baptist. First pitch is at 1 p.m.
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