EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Illinois State junior shortstop Owen Miller became Illinois State's single-game record holder in hits, as the Redbirds swept a regular-season-ending doubleheader with the Evansville Aces by scores of 14-11 and 11-7.
Miller had three hits in the opening game, but it was the second one that pushed him into the record book with the 85th base hit of his career. That hit moved him past Kevin Tokarski's 2010 total of 84 hits in the season.
Tyson Hays led the Redbirds on the day with four hits, as seven different players had multiple hits on the day. Joe Aeilts and Miller each had three hits in the doubleheader. Collin Braithwaite scored five runs over the two days, with Hays and Joe Butler each scoring four times. Braithwaite drove in six runs over the two days, while Aeilts had five RBI's and Hays four.
The Redbirds secured the No. 6 seed for the upcoming Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in Dallas, Texas. Illinois State will face off against third-seeded Bradley at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 23 in the third of four games in the tournament's first day. In the second round, ISU will face either host Dallas Baptist or Valparaiso.
After an inning and a half of scoreless baseball to open the day, Evansville struck first in the bottom of the second inning with four runs in the frame to take a four-run advantage.
The Redbirds, trailing for the first time in the game, immediately responded with four runs in the top of the third inning. The 'Birds got a one-out walk from Joe Butler, who reached third when John Rave reached on a two-base fielding error. Hays grounded out to third base, scoring Butler, which was followed by a walk to Miller. Braithwaite followed with a towering three-run home run over the scoreboard in left-center field, tying the score at four runs apiece.
A scoreless top of the third inning followed, before Illinois State scored three more times in the top of the fourth inning. The inning opened with a walk to Derek Parola, and after a strikeout, Jake McCaw was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Joe Butler followed with an RBI double to left-center field, scoring Parola. Two batters later Hays doubled to right-center field, scoring McCaw and Joe Butler, pushing Illinois State to a 7-4 lead.
Evansville would not go down quietly, as the Aces sent 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring six times and reacquired the lead by a 10-7 score.
Illinois State countered Evansville's six-run inning with one of their own in the top of the fifth, as the Redbirds also sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning. Illinois State loaded the bases over the first three batters of the inning with a walk to Braithwaite, a single by Aeilts, and a walk to Parola. Nick Zouras followed with a walk, pushing home Braithwaite to cut the deficit to 10-8. After a strikeout, Joe Butler tied the score with a two-run single, scoring Aeilts and Parola.
Rave followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to give the Redbirds the lead, before Hays singled a batter later to drive in Butler. A Miller double scored Hays, providing the final runs for the team in the inning.
Evansville rallied with a run in the fifth inning, and the teams each were scoreless in the sixth inning, with the Redbirds holding onto a 13-11 lead. In the top of the seventh inning Illinois State struck again when Braithwaite hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Hays, and putting the 'Birds ahead 14-11.
The Redbirds then used Trevor Cross and Michael Sebby to close out the game, Cross retiring all six batters he faced in the seventh and eighth inning, while Sebby retired the Aces in order in the ninth for his first save of the season. Relief pitcher Colton Johnson picked up the win, improving to 3-2 on the season as he went three innings, including the inning after which the Redbirds secured the win.
In the opener, Miller went 3-for-5 at the plate, as Joe Butler was 2-for-4 and Hays 2-for-6. Hays and Braithwaite each drove in four batters, while Joe Butler chased home three. Joe Butler also scored three runs, with Hays, Braithwaite, and Parola scoring twice. All nine starters for the Redbirds scored at least one run in the game.
The second game of the series started with a bang for ISU, as Hays drew a one-out walk, before Braithwaite hit his second home run of the day over the left field wall, staking the Redbirds to a 2-0 lead.
Starting pitcher Brent Headrick was strong through two innings of the game, giving up just one hit and one walk through his eight batters of the contest.
Illinois State scored two more runs in the top of the third inning when Jordan Libman singled home Rave, and Aeilts scored Miller with a double.
Two more runs in the fourth inning came on a two-run double off the bat of Rave that chased home Parola and Joe Butler to take the Illinois State lead to 6-0.
Evansville scored in the bottom of the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly, and three runs in the bottom of the sixth on a three-run home run over the left field wall.
The Redbirds put a gap back in the scoring with two runs in the top of the seventh inning when Braithwaite scored on a throwing error by the Aces, and another on a double by Parola that scored Aeilts.
An inning later Aeilts hit a three-run double to straight away center field, scoring Hays, Miller, and Braithwaite, and giving Illinois State an 11-5 lead in the game – the Redbirds' 14th game this season in which they had scored double-digit runs.
Evansville got two runs back in the bottom of the ninth with a two-run home run, but it wasn't enough in the four-run Redbird victory.
Hays and Libman each went 2-for-4 at the plate, while Aeilts was 2-for-5. Braithwaite scored three times, as Hays and Miller each scored twice. Aeilts drove in a career-high five runs in the game, while Rave and Braithwaite also drove in two.
Headrick got the victory on the mound, improving to 4-6 on the season, striking out two over two innings of work.
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