NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State Redbirds dropped the first game of a three-game series with the Bradley Braves 9-6 in a season-long 13 innings. The second and third games of the series, which were originally scheduled for separate days, have now been moved to a Saturday doubleheader due to the expectation of inclement weather for most of the day on Sunday.
John Rave and Collin Braithwaite each went 3-for-7 at the plate, while Noah Sadler and Joe Aeilts were each 2-for-5. Freshman catcher Tyson Hays was just 0-2 at the plate; however, he drew five walks, which is tied for the NCAA lead this season, and one away from tying the NCAA single-game record.
The Redbirds got stellar performances out of the bullpen in the game, including from Dalton Harvey who struck out all three batters that he faced in the sixth inning, Trevor Cross who struck out four batters over 2.2 innings while scattering two hits. Michael Sebby struck out three batters in 2.1 innings as well for the Redbirds. Jeff Lindgren picked up the loss in relief, while starting pitcher Brady Huffman picked up a no-decision in the start where he struck out three and gave up eight hits and five runs.
The game started as a slug-fest, as each team scored in each of the first three innings of the game, including a run in the top of the first inning by Bradley.
Illinois State countered in the bottom of the first inning when Owen Miller and Braithwaite were both driven in on a two-run single by Sadler, putting the Redbirds ahead 2-1. The Braves came back with two runs in the top of the second inning, to re-claim a 3-2 advantage.
The Redbirds got a two-out single from Nick Zouras in the bottom of the second inning, before he was driven home by a double from John Rave to tie the score at three runs apiece.
Two more runs by Bradley in the top of the third inning gave the visitors a lead they would not give up until the seventh inning of the game. Illinois State cut into the deficit in the bottom of the third inning with an RBI single from Aeilts that scored Braithwaite for the second time in the game, closing the gap to 5-4.
For as much as the first three innings were frenetic, the next three were played without a score, as each team's pitching and defense came up big in the middle innings.
Illinois State snapped the scoreless stretch in the bottom of the seventh inning when Braithwaite opened the inning with a single, and later scored on Aeilts two-out double, knotting the score at five runs apiece.
After Bradley scratched a run across in the top of the eighth, the Redbirds once again rallied, using a leadoff double from pinch hitter Jack Butler, which was followed by an infield bunt single from Rave, where the throw from the pitcher to first base went awry, allowing Butler to score the tying run in the contest.
After a scoreless top of the ninth inning, Illinois State threatened in the bottom of the frame when Sadler drew a walk, which was followed by a sharp Derek Parola single to left field. A sacrifice bunt by Aeilts moved the runners over a base, before the Braves intentionally walked Jake McCaw to load the bases. The Redbird offense was unable to push across the winning run as a strikeout and fly-out ended the threat in the ninth.
The teams played through scoreless innings in the 10th and 11th innings, and threatened in the top of the 12th inning as the Braves drew back-to-back walks, before a sacrifice bunt moved the runners along. An intentional walk loaded the bases, before Nick McMurray hit a fly ball to right field that was caught by Joe Butler for the second out of the inning, and Butler's throw home to a waiting Braithwaite behind the plate was in time to tag out the Braves' Brendan Dougherty to keep the Braves off of the board in the inning.
The visitors got a leadoff solo home run in the top of the 13th inning, and was able to squeeze across two more runs, as Bradley secured the 9-6 victory.
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