Walker, Gaines Lead Redbirds To 4-2 Win Over Louisville

LOUISVILLE – A stellar complete-game effort on the mound by starter Matt Walker and a two-out, pinch hit two-run double off the bat of Jeremy Gaines resulted in a thrilling 4-2 victory for Illinois State (36-24) over No. 7 national seed Louisville (44-16) Saturday afternoon in the NCAA Regional at Jim Patterson Stadium.

Pitching Breakdown:
•    Matt Walker (Starter, W 5-8): 9.0 IP, 6 Hits, 2 Runs, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Top Hitters:
•    Joe Aeilts: 1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI 1 Run, 1 BB
•    Jeremy Gaines: 1-for-1, 2B, 2 RBI

Scoring Breakdown:
•    After three scoreless innings for both teams to start the game, the Redbirds finally broke out in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 1-0 lead on a RBI double by Joe Aeilts that scored Jordan Libman from first base.
•    The Cardinals finally got to Walker in the top of the sixth inning, scratching across two runs on three hits to take a 2-1 lead.
•    Aeilts came up big again for the Redbirds in the bottom of the sixth, as he beat out a would be double play that allowed John Rave to score the tying run and make it 2-2 … pinch hitter Jeremy Gaines then broke the inning open with a two-run double to give the Redbirds the lead back at 4-2 after six innings of play.
•    Walker shut the door on Louisville the rest of the way, not allowing a hit over the final three innings to pick up his fifth victory of the season.

Quote from Coach Holm On The Formula For Defeating Louisville 
"If you're going to play a team like that, you are going to have to play really well especially defensively. You are going to have to get a couple breaks, and they hit a couple line drives right at people that turned into double plays when we really needed them. And then Jeremy came up with the big, clutch hit and that's basically all she wrote." 

Game Notes:
•    The win for the Redbirds is their fourth in NCAA Tournament play, doubling their previous total of two in three previous appearances
•    Walker's complete game was the first of his career at Illinois State, the third for a Redbird pitcher this season and the first ever for a Redbird hurler in the postseason
•    Gaines' two RBI now give him 10 for the season and the hit was his 19th of the year in 58 at bats
•    The win for the Redbirds snapped a 16-game home Regional win streak by the Cardinals

Up Next:
The Redbirds will play again at 5 p.m. Sunday, facing the winner of the Louisville/Indiana elimination game scheduled for 11 a.m. that morning. For continued updates on Illinois State Baseball at the NCAA Regional, follow the Redbirds on Twitter (@RedbirdBaseball) and Instagram (@isuredbirdbaseball).

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