|
 Hilliard’s home run came just a half inning after the Redbirds
scored two runs to take the lead and just one pitch after Redbird
starter Jacob Hendren exited the game. Hilliard hit ISU reliever
Jack Czeszewski’s first offering over the right-field fence to give
the Shockers their first lead of the game, and the Redbirds went
down in order in the ninth.
Illinois State, the No. 5 seed in the tournament, will now play No.
8 Southern Illinois in an elimination game Thursday at 12:30 p.m.
“It was a really frustrating game,” said Illinois State head coach
Bo Durkac. “Jacob was really starting to labor there in the eighth
inning … and I felt like after throwing deep into a game just five
days ago, we needed to go to Jack, and it just didn’t work out
tonight, unfortunately.”
The Redbirds (27-26) grabbed an early lead when Mason Snyder
provided a two-out single to left field in the first inning, plating
Daniel Dwyer, who had led off the game with an infield single.
Hendren kept the Redbirds out front, posting four scoreless innings
before the Shockers scored an unearned run in the fifth inning when
a ball got past Snyder at first base. Snyder’s error allowed Mikel
Mucha to come around and score and tie the game.
The score remained tied until the top of the eighth inning, when
Ryan Koziol provided the Redbirds’ biggest hit of the game, a
two-out, two-run single up the middle to score Dwyer and Jean
Ramirez.
[to top of second column] |
Wichita State (25-31) made a dramatic comeback in
the eighth inning, however, as Trey Vickers singled and Daniel Kihle
walked to chase Hendren and set up Hilliard’s game-winning home run.
Hendren allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits and one walk
over 7.2 innings of work, striking out seven. Dwyer and Snyder led
the Redbirds with two hits apiece.
[Matt Wing, Illinois State
University]
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source
for Illinois State Athletics tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund
gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
 |
