Redbirds Use Eight Run First Inning To Soar Past MTSU 14-7 Sunday Afternoon

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. –   The Illinois State baseball program captured a 14-7 victory over Middle Tennessee State to conclude the weekend series Sunday afternoon. With the win, the Redbirds improve their record to 7-4 in 2026. 

Six Redbirds tallied two or more hits in the contest as Illinois State matched a season-best with 14 runs scored. The Redbirds also matched a season-best with 14 hits in the game. 

The Redbirds catapulted to an 8-0 advantage after a two-out rally in the opening inning. After a trio of walks, with the bases loaded, Sophomore Eric Machej singled to drive in a pair of runs to open the scoring. Graduate Camden Karczewski added another single to drive in an additional two runs. Senior Nolan Barry tallied his first hit of the season with an RBI single to drive in another run. 

As the Redbirds batted around the order, Junior Luke Stulga recorded an RBI single to grow Illinois State's first-inning lead to six. Moments later, a Blue Raiders error brought in another run as Barry scored. Senior Josh Outlaw singled to drive home Stulga to cap off Illinois State's eight-run opening frame. 

In the bottom of the second, MTSU pulled a run back to make the score 8-1 after an RBI single. 

After a base hit from Redshirt Sophomore Brayden Bakes and a walk from Junior Graham Mastros, the Redbirds capitalized on a wild pitch to advance the two runners into scoring position. Later, Michael Carrano reached on an MTSU error as Bakes and Mastros scored to give Illinois State a 10-1 lead in the top of the fourth. In the bottom half of the inning, the Blue Raiders used a two-RBI double and a two-run home run to cut into the Redbirds' lead and make the score 10-5.  

Illinois State added another run in the sixth inning as Stulga drove in Karczewski on a sacrifice fly to grow the Redbirds lead to 11-5. In the next inning, Illinois State added another run after Brayden Bakes doubled and Machej brought him home on an RBI single to push the Redbirds advantage to 12-5. In the bottom of the seventh, MTSU added a run with an RBI single to make the score 12-6. 

Barry extended the Illinois State lead to 13-6 after a solo home run, the first of his Division I career, in the eighth inning. Brayden Bakes added another solo home run to make the score 14-6 in the top half of the ninth frame. 

The Blue Raiders added a run in the bottom half of the ninth to make the score 14-7. Graduate Reece Clapp tallied two strikeouts in the final frame to close out the victory. 

NOTES 

• The Redbirds' eight-run first inning is the most scored in a frame since Illinois State scored nine runs in a 14-4 win over Evansville on Apr. 13 last season. 

• Illinois State's opening frame of eight runs is the most in the first inning since the Redbirds' 18-11 victory over Northern Illinois on Apr. 19, 2023. 

• Junior Luke Stulga recorded a 2-for-5 performance, as Senior Josh Outlaw tallied a 2-for-6 day to notch their fifth multi-hit game of the season. 

• Redshirt Sophomore Brayden Bakes tallied a 3-for-3 game to earn his third straight performance with two or more hits. Bakes has recorded two or more hits in four out of the previous five contests. 

• With a ninth-inning home run, Brayden Bakes has homered in three straight contests. 

• Graduate Camden Karczewski tallied two RBIs in the contest for his first multi-RBI performance as a Redbird. 

• Sophomore Eric Machej recorded a 2-for-6 with three RBIs. Machej has tallied multiple hits in two of the last three contests for Illinois State. 

• Machej's three RBIs set a new career-best in a single game for the Edmonton, Alberta native. 

• Senior Nolan Barry notched his first career home run at Illinois State with an eighth-inning solo shot. Barry tallied two hits for his first multi-hit performance of the season and his first since March 3, against Lindenwood last season. 

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