HONOLULU, Hawai'i – A three-run walk-off double from Hawai'i's Alex Baeza spoiled a three-run effort from Collin Braithwaite, and two RBI's from Jordan Libman in a 7-6 Hawai'i victory on Friday evening.
Two players, John Rave and Libman each went 2-for-4 at the plate, as the Redbirds had eight total hits in the game. Each of the team's six runs came from different student-athletes, as Rave, Owen Miller, Braithwaite, Nick Zouras, Joe Aeilts, and Libman each crossed the plate in the loss.
Illinois State starting pitcher Brady Huffman was unhittable through the first three innings, as the sophomore retired the first 11 batters he faced in the game, before the Warriors strung together three hits in the bottom of the fourth inning on a double, single, and single to push across a run, giving the hosts a one-run advantage.
The Redbirds answered when Joe Aeilts opened the fifth inning with a single through the left side, before he was pushed to second on a sacrifice bunt by Derek Parola. Libman followed with a single to center field, scoring Aeilts and knotting the score at one run apiece.
An inning later, the Redbirds saw their first two batters of the inning – John Rave and Owen Miller – before Braithwaite drove the aforementioned pair, along with himself, on a three-run home run over the wall in left field. For Braithwaite, it was his third home run of the season, and team-leading 15th, 16th, and 17th RBI's on the year.
Hawai'i followed with two runs in the seventh, and the then-game-tying run in the eighth inning to tie the score at four runs apiece.
In the top of the ninth inning, Libman chased home Zouras, before scoring on a two-out double off the bat of Joe Butler, giving the visitors a two-run lead. That advantage would be short lived; however, as Hawai'i scored three two-out runs in the bottom half of the ninth to secure the win.
The Warriors' Matt Richardson picked up the win, pitching the final out of the top of the ninth inning, while Illinois State's Trevor Cross picked up the loss, pitching an inning and a third, striking out two. Redbird starting pitcher Huffman went six innings, and struck out four while allowing just four hits and one run.
The two teams meet back at Les Murkami Stadium on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. CT (2:00 p.m. local time) for the third and fourth games of the series.
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