NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State scored early and often in the middle game of a three-game series with the Valparaiso Crusaders, as the Redbirds took the second game 13-3 in eight innings on Senior Day Saturday at Duffy Bass Field.
It was a senior – Bryce Grimm – that singled home freshman Jake McCaw to give the game its 10-run margin in the bottom of the eighth inning. Grimm was one of three Redbirds – along with Noah Sadler and Owen Miller – to record three hits in the game. Tyson Hays and Derek Parola each had two hits for Illinois State, as the hosts had 16 hits in the contest. Sadler drove in three – all on a three-run second-inning home run, while Hays, Collin Braithwaite, Sadler, and Grimm scored twice.
Starting pitcher Brent Headrick struck out six over six innings of work, improving to 3-6, while Colton Johnson pitched two innings of scoreless relief.
Following a three-hour delay in the start of the game because of inclement weather, Illinois State struck first in the bottom of the first as Hays singled off of Valparaiso starting pitcher Trey Ferketic's leg. Miller followed with a single, advancing Hays to second, before McCaw singled his classmate home, and putting the hosts ahead 1-0.
The Redbird offense exploded in the second inning, sending 11 batters to the plate and scoring eight times in the inning. The frame started with a fly-out, before the next five batters recorded hits. Grimm started the hit parade with his first extra base hit of the season – a double to right-center field – before Parola singled to center field, putting runners on the corners.
Rave followed with a two-run double to left-center field, putting ISU ahead 3-0. Hays singled for the second time in as many innings, before Miller drove home Rave from third base. Jack Butler reached on an error that also scored a runner, and after a groundout, Collin Braithwaite singled home Miller. A batter later, Sadler clubbed a three-run home run to put the finishing touches on the eight-run second inning.
The Crusaders ended the shutout attempt with a run in the top of the third inning, before hitting a two-run home run in the fifth inning to close the gap to 9-3.
In the seventh inning the Redbird offense started firing again, getting a walk by Braithwaite and a single by Sadler to put runners on first and second. Grimm followed with a single to left field to score Braithwaite, before Parola doubled home Sadler and Grimm to put ISU ahead 12-3.
In the eighth inning, McCaw drew a one-out walk, which was followed by a walk to Braithwaite. Sadler legged out an infield single to load the bases, before Grimm lined a shot just out of the reach of the drawn-in Valparaiso defense, providing the first run-rule walk-off for Illinois State since Jared Hendren's double against Webster on April 22, 2015.
The two teams meet for the rubber-match of the three-game series with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. at Duffy Bass Field.
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