Redbirds Defeat Salukis, 8-4 to Complete Sweep

CARBONDALE, Ill. – The Illinois State baseball team defeated Southern Illinois, 8-4 on Sunday afternoon in Carbondale. The Redbirds swept the Salukis on the weekend for their second conference sweep in as many weeks. The 'Birds are 25-15, 8-1 MVC which puts them in first place in the conference.

Top Hitters

• John Rave: 5-for-6, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 Runs
• Derek Parola: 3-for-5, 1 RBI, 1 Run
• Jordan Libman: 2-for-4, 2 RBIs

Pitching Breakdown:

• Matt Walker (W, 3-5, Starter): 6.0 IP, 6 Hits, 2 Runs, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K's
• Jack Anderson: 1.0 IP, 2 Hits, 2 Runs, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K's
• Mitch Vogrin: 1.1 IP, 1 Hit, 1 K
• Colton Johnson (Save, 1): 0.2 IP, 0 Hits, 1 BB, 1 K

Quote from Coach Holm on team's play in conference
"Our starting pitching has been outstanding. They have given our offense a chance to lead within the first couple of frames. But at the same time our defense has been pretty solid as of late."

Scoring Breakdown:

• The Salukis scored in the home half of the first inning on a single through the left side to take a 1-0 lead over the Redbirds.
• Rave hit a two-run home run in the top of the third inning to give ISU a 2-1 lead. Parola would later score in the inning on a wild pitch to make it 3-1.
• In the top of the fourth, Nick Zouras scored on a balk to increase the lead. Rave would hit a ground rule double over the right-center field fence to score Jack Butler. Illinois State led Southern Illinois 5-1.
• In the top of the sixth inning, Libman singled to right field to score Aidan Huggins and Rave to increase the lead. The Salukis scored one run in the home half of the inning on a single to right field to make the score 7-2 after six innings.
• Parola singled to right-center field to score Huggins to make it 8-2 in favor of the Redbirds. The Salukis responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning on a single and double in the inning. Illinois State led Southern Illinois 8-4.
• Johnson struck out the final batter with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning to record his first save of the season for the Redbirds.

Up Next:
The Redbirds return to action on Tuesday, as the team hosts Northern Illinois at Duffy Bass Field in Normal. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. For updates on Illinois State Baseball, follow the Redbirds on Twitter (@RedbirdBaseball) and Instagram (@isuredbirdbaseball).

GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.

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