Razo fires complete-game shutout, Redbirds blank Bradley 4-0

[April 27, 2013]  PEORIA -- Chris Razo fired his third complete game this season, blanking Bradley (11-23, 1-12 MVC) 4-0 Friday night at Peoria Chiefs Stadium as Illinois State (25-16, 7-4 MVC) won its sixth consecutive game. It marked the first career shutout for Razo.

Razo (5-0), who has completed at least six innings in each of his last five starts, struck out nine, scattered seven hits and walked only two. With nine innings of shutout work, Razo lowered his ERA to 1.25.

Offensively, Brett Kay paced the offense with three hits, two runs scored and one RBI. The Redbirds got a pair of RBIs from Zac Johnson and one more from Eric Aguilera.

Bradley starter Davis Koll (1-6) allowed four earned runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked four. Relief pitcher Cameron Roegner worked the final 2 1/3 innings with four strikeouts.

The Braves threatened early, loading the bases with two outs in the bottom of the third, but Razo was able to induce a groundout to second to close the threat.

The Redbirds rallied for a run in the fourth. Kay opened the inning with a single and advanced to second on Chad Hinshaw’s bunt single. With one out, Aguilera roped a base hit to score Kay and make it 1-0.

In the fifth, Johnson added a two-run single, scoring Sean Beesley and Kay to make it 3-0 Redbirds.

Illinois State added one more run in the seventh, when Kay singled past a drawn-in infield to score Paul DeJong and make it 4-0 Illinois State.

The Redbirds had closer Jeremy Rhoades warming in the ninth but stuck with Razo, who retired Nolan Sponsler to end the game.

The Redbirds return to Peoria on Saturday for game two of the Missouri Valley Conference series. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.

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Box score

[Text from news release received from Illinois State University]