 Game one recapDaniel Dwyer tallied a career-high six RBIs
as Illinois State scored 17 unanswered runs in a 17-3 victory over
SIUE Tuesday afternoon at Roy E. Lee Field. Illinois State collected
season highs in runs (17) and hits (19). Dwyer went 3 for 4 with one
run scored, while Logan Leverett had a career-high four-hit effort.
Sean Beesley reached base three times and scored three runs, Mike
Hollenbeck added two hits and one RBI, Joe Kelch scored three runs,
and Dennis Colon reached base three times and scored three runs in
the win.
Brock Stewart (1-1) secured his first collegiate victory in
relief. He worked 3.1 scoreless innings with a career-high six
strikeouts and two walks. Mike Miller (0-1) allowed five runs, three
earned, on six hits and suffered the loss.
SIUE scored three runs off Redbird starter Steve Heilenbach to
jump to an early 3-0 lead. All three runs were earned off Heilenbach,
who worked 1.2 innings with four walks for a no-decision.
Colon drew a one-out walk and stole second base to spark a
three-run ISU third inning. Beesley followed with a single and
promptly stole second base to put runners on second and third in the
third inning. Dwyer followed with a two-run single and later scored
on an RBI double from Hollenbeck.
The Redbirds added three more runs in the fourth inning, with
Beesley tallying an RBI double and Dwyer adding a two-run single.
Dwyer connected on a two-run single again in the sixth inning, his
third straight frame with a two-run hit, to pace a five-run Illinois
State fifth inning. Cody Voelker added a bases-loaded walk and Paul
DeJong knocked a run-scoring single to advance the Illinois State
lead to 11-3.
Illinois State scored four runs in the sixth inning, highlighted
by Dylan Johnson’s first career home run. The Redbirds capped the
scoring with two runs in the seventh inning to make it 17-3.
Cam Verbeke and J.D. Learnard combined to fire two scoreless
relief innings to finish the game. Learnard struck out three and
Verbeke fanned one.
The Redbirds played error-free defense and the pitching staff
accumulated 11 strikeouts in game one.
Game two recap
Illinois State rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh
inning to defeat SIUE 6-5 in game two Tuesday.
Jeremy Rhoades (1-1) worked 1.2 scoreless innings, tallying three
strikeouts, to earn his first victory this spring. Will Headean
added three scoreless innings with four strikeouts to keep Illinois
State in the game. For SIUE, P.J. Schuster (1-1) allowed three runs,
two earned, in one inning of work to take the loss.
[to top of second column] |
SIUE jumped to a 5-1 advantage after two innings to chase
Illinois State starter Matt Lambert from the game. All five runs
were earned off Lambert, who finished with a no-decision. The lone
Redbird run was scored on Brian Rodemoyer’s first collegiate home
run.
Brock Stewart’s RBI double made it 5-2 in the fourth inning, and
ISU took advantage of two errors to cut the deficit to two, 5-3,
after five innings.
The first two Cougars base runners reached off David Suarez to
open the bottom of the sixth inning. After a sacrifice, Suarez was
lifted for Rhoades. Rhoades then struck out Denton Reed and Nick
Lombardo to end the threat.
Illinois State rallied for three runs off Schuster in the final
inning. Paul DeJong opened the frame with his second home run of the
season, a towering shot that cleared the left-field fence to make it
5-4. Hollenbeck reached on the third error in the game by Chase
Green. Hollenbeck was removed from the game for pinch runner Jack
Czeszewski. Joe Kelch grounded out to third, advancing Czeszewski
into scoring position with one out. Czeszewski then took third base
on a wild pitch. Logan Leverett, who had four hits in game one,
ripped an RBI double to tie the game 5-5. Rodemoyer followed with an
RBI single to give Illinois State the lead for good.
Rhoades allowed one base runner in the bottom of the inning but
struck out Skyler Geissinger to end the game.
The Redbirds begin Missouri Valley Conference play Friday versus
Bradley at Indiana State’s Bob Warn Field. Game one is scheduled for
a 1 p.m. first pitch.
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[Text from
news release received from
Illinois State University]
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