Redbirds Claim Series Finale With 10-4 Victory Over SIU Sunday Afternoon

CARBONDALE, Ill. – The Illinois State baseball program secured a 10-4 victory over Southern Illinois in the series finale Sunday afternoon. With the win, the Redbirds improve to 20-12 and 5-4 in Missouri Valley Conference play. 

Illinois State recorded its 20th contest this season with 10 or more hits and improved to 19-1 on the campaign in games where the Redbirds have tallied double-digit hits. 

Junior Ryan Bakes headlined the Illinois State offense after he matched a career-high with three hits including a two-run home run in the fourth inning. Bakes added his first three RBI performance as a Redbird to match a career-best total in a single game. 

Redshirt Freshman Luke Teschke continued to impress on the mound after recording his third straight start with at least five innings pitched. Teschke added four strikeouts and limited the Salukis to two runs on three hits. 

The Redbirds struck early after a trio of doubles from Redshirt Sophomore Brayden Bakes, Senior Josh Outlaw, and Junior Graham Mastros gave Illinois State a 2-0 advantage in the top of the first inning. 

In the fourth, the Redbirds grew their lead after Sophomore Louis Bussard drove home Junior Luke Stulga on an RBI single after Stulga reached on a leadoff double to make the score 3-0. Moments later, Junior Ryan Bakes delivered his second home run of the series to extend the Illinois State advantage to 5-0. As the lineup turned over, Brayden Bakes walked and stole second to get into scoring position as Outlaw notched a RBI single to score Bakes and push the lead to 6-0. 

Southern Illinois responded in the bottom half of the fourth, working a pair of runners into scoring position to open the inning. With a double, the Salukis plated two runs to make the score 6-2. 

The Redbirds pounced in the top of the fifth as Illinois State rallied to score four runs for the second straight inning with a two-out rally. Mastros open the scoring for the Redbirds in the frame, taking advantage of a passed ball to make the score 7-2. Ryan Bakes tallied his second hit of the contest with an RBI single to bring home Stulga and push the Illinois State lead to 8-2.  

With two runs across in the inning, Freshman Brayden Zilis delivered his second hit of the season with an RBI double to give the Redbirds a 9-2 lead. After an infield single from Graduate Camden Karczewski, Brayden Bakes recorded the Redbirds' second infield single of the frame to score Zilis and make the score 10-2. 

Southern Illinois pulled a run back in the seventh with an RBI single to make the score 10-3. In the bottom of the ninth, the Salukis looked to rally late, adding a run to make the score 10-4, but the Redbirds shut down the threat to secure the victory. 

NOTES

• With a double in the first at-bat of the contest, Redshirt Sophomore Brayden Bakes tallied his 20th career double. 

• Senior Josh Outlaw tallied his sixth multi-hit game of the season and extended his reached base streak to 12 contests. 

• With a pair of hits each, Junior Graham Mastros and Junior Luke Stulga recorded their 15th multi-hit game of the campaign. 

• Junior Ryan Bakes tallied his seventh multi-hit contest of the campaign with two hits, including a home run. For the second time this season, Bakes has homered in back-to-back games. 

• Bakes matched a career-high RBI total with three runs driven in in the win. 

• Freshman Brayden Zilis recorded his first career double with an RBI double in the fifth inning.  

• Redshirt Freshman Luke Teschke tossed 5.0 innings to record his third straight start with five or more innings pitched. In his last three starts, Teschke has limited opponents to fewer than three hits and two runs in each start. 

• In his second appearance of the campaign, Redshirt Junior Joey Wilmoth tallied his first strikeout of the season. 

• Illinois State amassed 13 hits as five Redbirds recorded two or more hits in the victory. 

• With the win, the Redbirds improve to 19-1 in games in which Illinois State has tallied a double-digit hit total. 

• In the victory, the Redbirds tallied five doubles, matching the most in a single game this season and the fourth time this season with five doubles. 

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