NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State baseball team scored five runs in the sixth inning to take a lead it never relented on its way to a 13-3, run-ruled win over visiting Webster Wednesday at Duffy Bass Field.
Webster jumped out to a 3-0 lead after five innings of play, but the Redbirds took advantage of three errors by the Gorloks in the five-run sixth. Illinois State added seven runs in the seventh, all with two outs, before Jared Hendren hit a run-scoring, walk-off double in the eighth to give the Redbirds the run-ruled win.
Webster (24-10) scored all three of its runs before the Redbirds put a run on the scoreboard. The Gorloks plated a pair of runs in the top of the first, courtesy of a Jeff Kammer two-run double. They added another run in the fifth with a run-scoring single from Kammer, who was 4-for-4 from the plate Wednesday.
Illinois State (20-18) scored its first runs of the game in the sixth inning, which started with a triple from Ryan Koziol. Mason Snyder singled in Koziol, before scoring himself when Blake Molitor doubled and Webster committed the first of three errors in the inning. Logan Leverett walked and moved into scoring position on the Gorloks' second error, and both he and Molitor scored on Webster's third miscue. Paul DeJong singled in the Redbirds' fifth run in the inning.
The Redbirds scored seven runs in the seventh inning, thanks to three hits and six walks. Joe Kelch scored the first run in the inning on a balk, before consecutive bases-loaded walks were issued to DeJong, Hendren and Koziol. Snyder followed with a bases-clearing double to left-center field.
Hendren's double to right field in the eighth gave the Redbirds a 10-run lead and sealed their second victory in as many days.
Redbird starter Jack Czeszewski allowed two runs on six hits and two walks, over four innings, in his first collegiate start Wednesday. Alec Altmyer allowed just one unearned run in one inning of work, before Craig Larkin, Jake Sale and Jack Landwehr pitched one scoreless inning each to finish out the game.
Snyder, Kelch and Molitor tallied three hits apiece in the win, while Snyder drove in a game-high four runs.
The Redbirds are off Thursday before beginning a three-game Missouri Valley Conference series against league-leading, No. 15 Missouri State on Friday. The series opener is set for a 4:30 p.m. start.
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