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 In the batter's box, Kevin Tokarski went 2 for 4 with an RBI and
one run scored, while Matt Mirabal was 1 for 3 at the plate with an
RBI, and he later scored a run to add to the Redbird total. Zac
Johnson also recorded an RBI in the game.
On the mound, Dylan Craig got his 13th start of the season and
grabbed his fourth straight win, improving his record to 8-2. Craig
faced 23 batters in six innings, striking out four and allowing only
two hits. Coming out of the bullpen, Justin Hauer and Kenny Long
held on to the win, as Hauer pitched two innings and struck out two
of the six batters he faced. Long recorded his 11th save of the
season, which extends the single-season saves record that he set
Friday. The Fox River Grove native also made his 90th career
appearance, tying Jim Sajewich for the most career appearances.
Like Friday's game, ISU and WIU were both scoreless through the
first five innings, but Illinois State got on the board first in the
bottom of the sixth. Kyle Stanton singled to start the sixth and was
moved to second by Eric Aguilera, as Mike Hollenbeck walked to put
runners on first and second. Mirabal singled, but back-to-back
Leatherneck throwing errors scored Stanton and Hollenbeck. A double
to left field by Tokarski scored Mirabal, giving ISU a 3-0 lead.
After the WIU defensive struggles, Western Illinois' pitchers had
trouble finding the strike zone. WIU's pitching staff put
three straight batters on base, and Tokarski scored when Johnson was
hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to increase Illinois State's
advantage to 4-0.
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In its half of the seventh with two outs, Western Illinois
scored a run off a Redbird error to cut ISU's lead to three,
but WIU couldn't add any more runs to its total and fell to
Illinois State 4-1.
The Redbirds and the Leathernecks were to return to the field
Sunday at 1 p.m. for the final game of the three-game series. ISU
planned to honor its senior class prior to the game. Then, in honor of
Mother's Day, the
senior moms were to throw out the first pitch to each of their sons.
[Text
from
news release received from Lauren
Hutchcraft, Illinois State University]
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