FRANKLIN, Wis. – The Illinois State baseball team rallied for a 4-3 victory at Milwaukee in 11 innings at Franklin Field on Tuesday.
Fourth-year sophomore Sean Sinisko threw 5.1 innings, allowing one earned run for the Redbirds (14-17 overall) as fifth-year junior Jared Hart, who took a no-hitter into the 6th inning in his first start of 2022 on Friday, posted a clean 11th inning to get the save. Fourth-year junior Justin Schubert got the win after throwing a scoreless 10th inning.
Both third-year sophomore Ryan Cermak and fifth-year junior Jake McCaw recorded solo home run.
Milwaukee (12-17 overall) rallied from a two-run deficit to tie the game in the 9th inning.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Cermak, who recorded a pair of highlight-reel catches in the game, opened the contest with an inside-the-park home run. The Milwaukee center fielder nearly made a spectacular catch up against the left-center field wall, but the ball ricocheted off the wall back toward the middle of the field, allowing Cermak to cover the 360-foot trip around the base paths.
Milwaukee would tie the game in the 6th inning at 1-1.
The Redbirds responded the 7th inning as fifth-year senior Aidan Huggins laced a ball past the Panthers shortstop to plate fourth-year junior Connor Olson. Huggins scored on a safety squeeze bunt from sixth-year senior Kyle Soberano.to put the 'Birds up, 3-1.
The Panthers scored on a sacrifice fly before getting a two-out hit to tie the game in the 9th inning.
Schubert stranded a pair of runners in the 10th before McCaw homered to right field to put the 'Birds back in front.
Hart threw nine pitches in a 1-2-3 11th inning to record his first save as a Redbird.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Cermak now leads the NCAA in HR/game (.50/game, 14 HR in 28 GP).
- Illinois State now has at least one home run in eight of its last nine games played.
- Illinois State moves to 2-2 in extra-inning games in 2022. Both wins were 4-3 while both losses were 7-6.
- McCaw extended his on-base streak to 23 games.
UP NEXT
Illinois State is scheduled to host Bradley for a weekend series from April 22-24 at Duffy Bass Field.
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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