NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State baseball team was shut out for the first time this spring in the finale of a three-game series with Evansville Sunday at Duffy Bass Field. Evansville won by a 10-0 score in an eight-inning, run-ruled game, and won the series by taking two of three games.
Evansville (15-12, 5-4 MVC) scored in six of eight innings Sunday while left-handed freshman Brodie Harkness turned in a complete-game shutout in the win. Harkness scattered eight hits and walked just one batter in the victory.
The Purple Aces scored first Sunday, plating three runs in the top of the first off ISU starter Jack Landwehr, who allowed six runs on eight hits and three walks over the first four innings. A sacrifice fly from Jonathan Ramon opened the scoring before Eric McKibban and Max Foley added RBI singles in the inning.
Evansville added two in the third on a two-run homer from Shain Showers, before posting single tallies in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively. Showers provided an RBI single in the fourth and catcher Billy Lipari homered off ISU reliever Jack Czeszewski in the fifth.
The visitors scored two runs off reliever Mitch Vogrin in the seventh, thanks to a two-run single from Ramon. The Purple Aces then scored their 10th run of the game with a run-scoring double from Ramon in the eighth, off Jake Sale.
Joe Kelch and Sean Beesley tallied two hits apiece for the Redbirds, accounting for half of the team's eight hits.
The Redbirds are back in action Tuesday at Duffy Bass Field as they welcome Northern Illinois for a nonconference game. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
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