NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State Redbirds erupted for four runs in the first inning and scored in five of the 10 innings of the ballgame; however, it was not enough as Dallas Baptist scored twice in the top of the ninth and six times in the top of the tenth inning to secure a 17-11 extra-inning victory.
Illinois State had a dozen hits in the game, as eight of the nine starters had at least one hit in the contest. Noah Sadler was 3-for-4 at the plate with four RBI's and two runs scored. Derek Parola and Joe Aeilts each had two hits in the losing effort. Four different players – John Rave, Owen Miller, Sadler, and Aeilts – each scored twice, while Sadler and Aeilts each had multiple RBI's in the game.
After Brady Huffman retired DBU in order in the top of the first, the Redbird bats started the offense strong. Rave and Miller drew inning-opening walks, before the former was driven in from a single by Sadler. A Parola walk put runners on first and third, before Nick Zouras grounded out to second base, scoring Miller. Aeilts followed with a two-run single, putting the hosts ahead 4-0 through just one inning.
The two teams put up scoreless frames in the second and third innings, until the visiting Patriots struck the scoreboard for the first time with a three-run home run in the top of the fourth inning.
The Redbirds manufactured a run in the bottom of the fourth when Aeilts reached on an error, was sacrificed to second by Ryan Hutchinson, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and then scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Joe Butler. An inning later Sadler opened the frame with a solo home run over the wall in right center field, and Hutchinson later singled home Zouras to give Illinois State the 6-3 lead.
Dallas Baptist took its first lead of the game in the top of the sixth inning, when the Patriots scored five times, and pushed ahead 8-7 in the game.
Illinois State answered right back when Miller drew a one-out walk, advanced to second on a single by Collin Braithwaite, and scored on a single off of the bat of Parola, to re-tie the lead at 8-8. DBU got a two-out home run off the bat of Kody Funderburke, which put the Patriots ahead 9-8.
After seeing its lead erased, Illinois State scored three times in the bottom of the seventh inning, as the Redbirds got a leadoff single from Aeilts, a sacrifice bunt from Hutchinson, and back-to-back walks from pinch hitter Jordan Libman and Rave followed to load the bases. After a foul-out, Braithwaite drew a walk to push home Aeilts, and tie the game at nine runs apiece. A batter later, Sadler hit a lazy pop fly that started in foul territory, and was blown fair, and just inside of the line in the outfield, allowing Libman and Rave to each cross the plate, giving the hosts an 11-9 advantage after seven innings.
Neither team could strike in the eighth inning, before the visitors scored twice in the top of the ninth to force extra innings at Duffy Bass Field. In the top of the 10th inning, the visitors scored six times, including a three-run bases-loaded double to put DBU ahead 17-11, and the Redbirds were not able to reach base in the bottom of the 10th, securing the win for the Patriots.
The teams meet up for the third and final game of the series
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