Redbirds Drop Both Games Of Sunday Doubleheader At Creighton

OMAHA, Neb. – Illinois State took early leads in both games of Sunday's doubleheader at TD Ameritrade Park, but couldn't hold on for victories as the Bluejays (14-6) took both games of the double dip and swept the weekend series against the Redbirds (13-13) in Omaha.

Redbird Performers Game 1

Top Hitters:
•    Joe Butler: 2-for-5, 2 Runs
•    Tyson Hays: 1-for-4, 2B, 1BB, 1 RBI, 1 Run
•    Aidan Huggins: 1-for-4, 1 Run, 1 HR, 4 RBI

Pitching Breakdown:
•    Jeff Lindgren (Starter): 5.0 IP, 9 Hits, 7 ER, 3 BB, 6 K's
•    Colton Johnson: 4.0 IP, 0 Hits, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K's
•    Jacob Gilmore (L, 2-1): 1.1 IP, 1 Hit, 1 ER, 5 BB, 3 K's

Scoring Breakdown:
•    The Redbirds jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the second, after a RBI single by Jack Butler scored Joe Butler and loaded the bases for Aidan Huggins, who launched a grand slam into the left field bullpen to give the 'Birds the early advantage
•    A RBI double by Tyson Hays in the top of the third inning extended the lead to 6-0, but the Bluejays got that run back in the bottom half of the frame to make it 6-1 after three innings of play
•    The Jays cut the lead in half with a pair of runs in the bottom of fifth inning and then took the lead with a four spot in the bottom of the sixth to take a 7-6 lead 
•    A solo home run off the bat of Joe Aeilts in the top of the eighth inning knotted the game at 7-7 and it would stay tied until the bottom of the 11th, when the Jays forced a bases-loaded walk to come away with the 8-7 extra inning win

Redbird Performers Game 2

Top Hitters:
•    Gunner Peterson: 1-for-2, HR, 1 RBI, 1 Run, 1 BB
•    Derek Parola: 2-for-5
•    Jordan Libman: 1-for-5, 1 RBI

Pitching Breakdown:
•    Matt Walker (Starter – L, 1-4): 5.0 IP, 7 Hits, 5 Runs, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K's
•    Mitch Vogrin: 0.2 IP, 1 Hit, 1 Run, 1 ER, 3 BB
•    Jack Anderson: 1.1 IP, 3 Hits, 1 Run, 1 ER, 2 K's
•    Jackson Bronke: 1.0 IP, 1 Hit, 1 K

Scoring Breakdown:
•    For the second game in a row, the Redbirds scored first on a RBI single by Jordan Libman to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning
•    The Bluejays answered with a four spot in the bottom half of the frame, thanks to a three-run home run that made the score 4-1 
•    Creighton added another run in the fourth to make it 5-1, before the Redbirds cut the lead to 5-2 in the top of the sixth when Joe Butler scored from third on a wild pitch with the bases loaded
•    The Jays answered with a run in the bottom half and added another in the seventh to extend the advantage to 7-2
•    Gunner Peterson then hit his fifth homer of the season to lead off the eighth inning, but that was all the Redbirds could muster as the Jays swept the doubleheader by a score of 7-3

Quote from Coach Holm
"When you are going really good, you're never as good as you think you are. On the same line, you are never as bad as you think you are when it's going south. Right now there's no way around it, things are tough for the Redbirds. We will put our nose to the grindstone and get this thing back on track."

Up Next:
Illinois State returns to action at home on Tuesday against in-state foe Eastern Illinois at Duffy Bass Field. First pitch is set for 5 p.m., and fans can watch the game on ESPN+. For updates on Illinois State Baseball, follow the Redbirds on Twitter (@RedbirdBaseball) and Instagram (@isuredbirdbaseball).

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