SPRINGFIELD, Mo.– The Illinois State baseball team allowed eight runs in the 3rd inning and five runs in the 8th inning at Missouri State in a 15-5 loss at Hammons Field on Friday.
Second-year sophomore Luke Cheng led the offensive efforts for Illinois State (18-26 overall, 5-11 Missouri Valley Conference) with a trio of hits.
The Bears move to .500 at 23-23 overall while jumping to 6-10 in the MVC.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The 'Birds loaded the bases in the 1st inning but could not cash in.
Missouri State exploded for eight runs in the 3rd inning.
A Bear error opened the door for the 'Birds in the 7th inning to chip away as ISU capitalized with an RBI double from third-year sophomore Ryan Cermak before a two-RBI single by fourth-year junior Connor Olson to cut the lead to 8-4.
MSU got a pair back in the bottom half of the inning before an infield hit from Cheng resulted in a Redbird run in the 8th inning.
The Bears scored five runs in the 8th to secure the game.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
UP NEXT
Illinois State is scheduled to play at 11:00 a.m. CT on Saturday and Sunday against Missouri State to conclude the series at Hammons 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).