Savas, Redbirds shut out the Bears 6-0

[April 08, 2013]  NORMAL -- For the second game in a row, an Illinois State pitcher baffled the Missouri State hitters, as Dan Savas pitched eight scoreless innings to lead the Redbirds (14-14, 3-2 MVC) to a 6-0 shutout victory over the Bears (18-8, 3-2) on Saturday at Duffy Bass Field.

Savas improved to 4-0 on the season and allowed just two hits in eight scoreless innings of work to earn the victory for the Redbirds. Jeremy Rhoades closed out the game with a perfect ninth inning to preserve the win. Missouri State starter Cody Schumacher (1-1) suffered the loss, after allowing four runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings pitched.

Illinois State jumped out to a 2-0 lead off three hits in the bottom of the second inning. Zac Johnson singled to left field to start the inning, and Kyle Stanton followed with a single of his own. Mike Hollenbeck then advanced the runners a base to second and third on a sacrifice bunt, before Johnson scored from third on an RBI groundout by Daniel Dwyer. Stanton then scored on an RBI single past third base off the bat of Paul DeJong for the second run of the inning.

A leadoff solo home run over the left-center-field wall by Eric Aguilera in the bottom of the sixth inning extended the ISU lead to 3-0. The home run was Aguilera's second of the season and increased his team-leading RBI total to 24. Later in the inning, Dwyer drove in his second run of the game with an RBI single to left field, which plated Stanton from third base to make the score 4-0 in favor of the Redbirds.

ISU added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to extend the lead to 6-0 and put the game away. Sean Beesley tallied the first run of the inning when he scored from third base on a wild pitch. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Johnson later scored Chad Hinshaw for the second run of the frame.

Aguilera, Stanton and Dwyer finished the game with two hits each, with Dwyer driving in a pair of runs and Stanton crossing the plate twice.

The Redbirds looked to sweep the Bears with a win in the series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday. Brad Sorkin (4-3, 4.71 ERA) was scheduled to take the mound for Illinois State against Missouri State starter John Harris (5-0, 1.36 ERA).

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Game stats

[Text from news release received from Illinois State University]