NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State baseball team topped Eastern Illinois, 4-3, in a 7-inning, rain-shortened contest at Monier Field. The game was the Redbirds' final tune-up before traveling to Southern Illinois Friday-Sunday to begin Missouri Valley Conference play.
The Panthers (13-11 overall) threatened in the 7th and final inning by reducing their deficit to one run with the bases loaded, but the 'Birds escaped on a ground ball induced by third-year sophomore Derek Salata.
Fourth-year junior Jack Anderson threw five innings, giving up just two hits and one earned run to get the win for Illinois State (8-14 overall). Anderson retired the last 11 batters he faced.
Fifth-year junior Aidan Huggins recorded was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored while fourth-year junior Tyson Hays had two hits and drove in Huggins twice.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Huggins doubled before a Hays sacrifice fly scored the game's first run.
The Panthers responded in the 2nd inning with a run before a Hays single in the 3rd inning knocked in Huggins.
A single by third-year sophomore Ryan Cermak and sacrifice fly by fourth-year sophomore Jake McCaw put the Redbirds up 4-1 after five innings.
Third-year sophomore Jared Hart recorded a clean 6th inning.
Salata was inserted with an ISU lead of 4-1 with the bases loaded and two outs in the 7th inning. He walked in two runs but induced a comebacker for his third save of 2021.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Illinois State out-hit Eastern Illinois, 10-4.
- The Redbirds had just one strikeout at the plate, the fewest for the program since 3/14/2015 against LIU-Brooklyn
- Huggins became the third Redbird to record two doubles in a game this season (McCaw and Cermak at SIUE on 2/23)
- Fifth-year senior Jordan Libman has now scored a run in seven-straight games. He also has hits in 19 of 22 games in 2021.
UP NEXT
Illinois State is scheduled to begin MVC action with a four-game series at Southern Illinois from April 2-4. All four games will be on ESPN3/+. The MVC is playing four-game sets for the first time since 2004.
For the latest updates on Illinois State Baseball, stay tuned at GoRedbirds.com, follow the Redbirds on Twitter (@RedbirdBaseball) and Instagram (isuredbirdbaseball), and like the team on Facebook (Illinois State Baseball).
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