NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State baseball team never trailed in Wednesday's 9-5 win over UIC at rain-soaked Duffy Bass Field as third-year sophomore Ryan Cermak homered in his first two at-bats before fifth-year senior Nick Gile delivered a two-run shot in the 5th inning.
Fifth-year senior Colin Wyman retired the nine batters he faced to record the win for Illinois State (8-8, 2-0 at home).
Future Missouri Valley Conference member UIC (5-11) scored its five runs in innings five-to-seven.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Cermak hit a solo shot to left field in the 1st inning before blasting a two-run home run to left-center field in the 3rd inning. Fifth-year junior Jake McCaw singled home a run before Gile doubled home another to push the Redbird lead to 5-0.
UIC rallied for two runs in the 5th inning, but Gile answered with a two-run shot in the bottom of the frame.
The Flames scored the next three runs, but second-year freshman Jonathan Sabotnik singled in a run and second-year sophomore Luke Cheng grounded in ISU's ninth run.
Third-year sophomore Cameron Mabee and fifth-year junior Jared Hart each recorded 1-2-3 innings with a pair of strikeouts in the 8th and 9th innings, respectively.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- ISU recorded 13 strikeouts including 10 of the team's last 13 outs.
- Fourth-year junior Justin Schubert recorded a team-high five strikeouts in two innings of work.
- Cermak homered twice, the last Redbird to hit two home runs was Gunner Peterson in 2019.
UP NEXT
Illinois State is scheduled to play Saint Louis on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at Duffy Bass Field.
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