Box Score
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A quick start offensively and four strong innings of relief work from Trevor Cross helped the Illinois State baseball team to a 9-2 win and a midweek series split with Tennessee Tech Wednesday at Bush Stadium.
Illinois State scored eight of its nine runs over the first two innings Wednesday and never trailed in the contest. Redbird starter Colton Johnson gave the Redbirds four solid innings, but it was Cross who stole the show, tossing four shutout innings and striking out five to thwart any potential comeback bid the hosts may have planned.
Collin Braithwaite tallied two hits and drove in three runs for the Redbirds, delivering a key hit in each of the first two innings to fuel the Redbirds' early surge.
Illinois State (5-9) shot out to an early lead thanks to five runs – all scored with two outs – in the top of the first inning. Braithwaite brought in the first runs with a two-run double to right-center field that scored Owen Miller and Noah Sadler. Joe Aeilts then one-upped Braithwaite with a bases-clearing, three-run double down the third-base line that plated Braithwaite, John Rave and Derek Parola.
The Redbirds added three more in the top of the second on a two-run single from Ryan Hutchinson and a run-scoring single from Braithwaite to make it an 8-0 lead.
Tennessee Tech got a run back in the third on Ryan Flick's RBI double, and another in the fourth on Collin Harris' RBI single up the middle, but Joe Butler's sacrifice fly in the fifth pushed the Redbirds' lead back to seven at 9-2.
Neither team scored again as the bullpens took over. Following Cross' stellar four innings of work was Mitch Vogrin, who pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
The Redbirds will have an off day Thursday before returning to action Friday, as they begin a three-game series at Lipscomb. Links for live stats (all three games) and links to ESPN3 broadcasts (Friday and Sunday) are available at GoRedbirds.com, and fans can follow @RedbirdBaseball on Twitter for live updates and more.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
