Box Score
NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State baseball team was topped by Dayton, 10-2, in the first game of a three-game set Friday night at Duffy Bass Field.
Dayton (10-17) scored seven runs over the first two innings off Redbird starter Matt Walker to take command. The Redbirds tallied single runs in the sixth and seventh innings, but that's the closest they came to the lead.
Joe Aeilts tallied two hits and Bryce Grimm hit the first home run of his career. But Illinois State (7-20) was limited to just five total hits in the game.
Dayton got off to a fast start, plating four runs in the top of the first inning, all with two outs. Takahiro Yamada brought in the first run by drawing a bases-loaded walk. Cale Dineen drove in two runs with a single to right field, just one pitch before Matt Poland provided an RBI single to right to make it a 4-0 lead.
The Flyers added three in the second. Connor Echols scored the first run of the inning when Brandon Smith struck out and reached on a dropped-third strike as the throw to first hit him in the back and skittered away. Then, with two runners in scoring position, Dineen's single through the left side of the infield scored a pair.
Illinois State got on the scoreboard in the sixth when Grimm hit the first home run of his Redbird career, a solo shot that cleared the right-field fence. The Redbirds added another run in the seventh on Nick Zouras' sacrifice fly.
Dayton scored three insurance runs in the top of the ninth, thanks to an RBI single from Conner Wilson, an RBI double from Brad Burkhart and an RBI single from Pat Meehan.
Walker was tagged for seven runs over 1.1 innings in Friday's start. Jack Bellinger, Nick Alvarado, Jack Spicer and Michael Sebby followed with scoreless outings. The Flyers scored three runs off Braden Niksich in the ninth inning. Jeff Lindgren got the final two outs of the game.
The Redbirds and Flyers return to Duffy Bass Field on Saturday at 2 p.m. for the second of three games in the series. Links for live audio and stats can be found 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.
