 Top-seeded Illinois State will play in the Valley title game
Saturday at 7:07 p.m. against the winner of Friday's matchup between
No. 2 Wichita State and No. 6 Indiana State. Illinois State's other
two title-game appearances, in 1994 and 2010, resulted in Valley
tournament championships.Redbird starter Brad Sorkin (8-4) earned
the victory after allowing just one earned run on four hits, with
four strikeouts and two walks. It marked the 20th victory of his
four-year Redbird career. Jeremy Rhoades pitched the final three
innings, with two earned runs allowed, to secure his sixth save of
the season while preserving ISU's third win of the tournament.
Evansville starter Cole Isom (4-6) suffered the loss.
Brock Stewart led Illinois State offensively with a 2-for-4
effort, including two runs scored, while Chad Hinshaw was 2 for 3.
Andy Lasher drove in two runs to lead the Purple Aces while going 1
for 4.
Illinois State broke open a scoreless game with three runs in the
fifth inning. Stewart started the inning with a single and advanced
to second on a headfirst sliding bunt single by Sean Beesley. A
Brett Kay single allowed Stewart to score the game's first run, and
Beesley came home after stealing third and scoring on an errant
throw by Evansville's catcher. Zac Johnson then plated Kay with a
single to center field, giving Illinois State a 3-0 lead.
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The Purple Aces responded with one run in the bottom of the
fifth, beginning with a double by Kyle Pollock. Lasher followed
with a single, advancing Pollock to third, and allowing him to
score on a low throw by Paul DeJong. Although Evansville
proceeded to load the bases, Sorkin pitched out of the jam,
holding ISU's 3-1 advantage.
The Redbirds added two insurance runs in the top of the eighth
inning, as Mike Hollenbeck walked and Stewart doubled, and they both
scored when Evansville's third baseman misplayed a ground ball off
the bat of DeJong. However, the Purple Aces answered with two runs
in the bottom of the frame, as John Day scored on a wild pitch and
Shain Showers came home on a Lasher groundout, cutting Illinois
State's lead to 5-3.
ISU's two-run advantage proved to be enough, as Rhoades faced the
heart of Evansville's order in the ninth inning without allowing the
Purple Aces to score. He induced a groundout by Day for the final
out, punching Illinois State's ticket to the title game.
Tickets to Saturday's Valley championship game are available by
calling the Illinois State ticket office at 309-438-8000.
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Box score
[Text from
news release received from
Illinois State University]
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