Redbirds score 6 in 7th, defeat the Aces 14-4

[May 13, 2013]  NORMAL -- A six-run seventh inning for Illinois State (33-18, 13-5 MVC) gave the Redbirds their second straight run-rule victory over Evansville (21-31, 10-10 MVC), this one by score of 14-4 on Mother's Day at Duffy Bass Field. With the win, the Redbirds won the series 2-1 and maintained their one-game lead atop the Valley standings over Wichita State.

Brock Stewart tied a career high with five RBIs, thanks to a 3-for-4 effort at the plate for the Redbirds. Senior outfielder Eric Aguilera was 4 for 5 with three runs scored and three driven in on Senior Day, and fellow senior Kyle Stanton was 3 for 3 with three runs scored and an RBI.

ISU starter Brad Sorkin (7-4) picked up the win for the Redbirds, after pitching 6 1-3 innings and allowing four runs on six hits. Relievers David Suarez and Jeremy Rhoades held the Aces scoreless the rest of the way, with Rhoades picking up his fifth save of the season, after coming into the game in the seventh with the tying run on deck.

ISU took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning on a two-run single up the middle off the bat of Stewart. Stanton drew a one-out walk to get things going, and Mike Hollenbeck singled into center field to give the Redbirds a pair of runners. Both players advanced a base on a wild pitch by Freeman, which allowed them to score on the single by Stewart.

Evansville wasted little time and took the lead at 3-2 in the top of the third inning. The first two runs crossed the plate on a two-run home run off the bat of Kevin Kaczmarski, and Jason Hockemeyer gave the Aces the lead with a solo shot to left-center two batters later.

The Redbirds came right back and regained the lead in the bottom of the inning, scoring five runs on four hits to take a 7-3 advantage. Zac Johnson drove in the first run of the frame with an RBI double to center field and later scored, along with Chad Hinshaw, on an RBI single by Aguilera. Stewart put a cap on the five-run inning with a two-run single that plated Stanton and Aguilera to put the Redbirds in front.

After each team failed to score in the fourth inning, each team added a run in the fifth. Evansville pushed a run across in the top half of the inning, and Stewart drove in his fifth run of the game in the bottom of the inning on a single up the middle to make the score 8-4.

The Redbirds then put the game away in the bottom of the seventh inning with six runs on six hits to come away with the run-rule victory. Stanton, Hollenbeck, Johnson and Aguilera each drove in a run in the inning, and Brett Kay drove in a pair on a single through the left side of the infield.

The Redbirds will return to action next weekend at Southern Illinois for their final Missouri Valley Conference series of the regular season. The three-game series will begin Thursday at 3 p.m. at Abe Martin Field, with the Redbirds aiming for a league title.

___

Box score (PDF)

[Text from news release received from Illinois State University]