 The duo of Eric Aguilera and Zac Johnson led the way offensively for
the Redbirds in the doubleheader. Aguilera finished the day 9 for
11, including a career-best 6-for-6 effort in game two, with two
runs scored and four runs driven in. Johnson capped off his day by
going 5 for 6 in game two to finish the day 7 for 11 with five runs
scored and three RBIs.
Pitcher Brad Sorkin (4-2) suffered the loss in game one, after
pitching nine-plus innings and allowing four runs (two of them
earned) on six hits while striking out four Panther hitters in game
one. Chris Razo (1-0) allowed just one run on three hits while
striking out seven in four strong innings in game two to pick up his
first win of the season in his first start of the year.
Eastern Illinois got on the board first in the top of the third
inning in game one, when Trey Vavra knocked in a pair of runs on a
single to right field. The two runs were unearned, as Tyler
Schweigert reached on a fielding error by ISU shortstop Brett Kay
with two outs to keep the inning alive. Caleb Howell then singled to
center field and advanced to second base on a throw attempting to
get Schweigert out at third as he slid in safely. The two then
scored on the base hit by Vavra to take the two-run lead.
Johnson put the Redbirds on the scoreboard in the bottom of the
sixth inning, when he led off the inning with his team-leading
fourth home run to cut the deficit to 2-1. After Kyle Stanton
grounded out, Aguilera doubled to right-center field and scored two
batters later, when Mike Hollenbeck singled to right field to knot
the game at 2-2 after six innings of play.
The score remained at 2-2 over the final three innings of play,
as the game headed into extra innings. In the top half of the 10th,
EIU put its first two batters on base after both were hit by pitches
by Sorkin. Will Headen then came on in relief and Dane Sauer laid
down a sacrifice bunt for EIU, which was fielded by Johnson, but the
throw was wide of first base and Jacob Reese came around from second
to score and put the Panthers up 3-2. From there, the inning fell
apart as EIU added three more hits and tacked on five runs in the
frame to take a 7-2 lead and come away with the victory in game one.
Illinois State wasted little time in getting on the board in game
two, as an RBI single by Stanton drove in Aguilera for the first run
of the game. EIU answered with a run of its own in the top of the
second inning, on a double down the left-field line by Cameron Berra,
to tie the game at 1-1. The Redbirds added two more runs in the
bottom of the third inning to take a 3-1 lead. Johnson drove in the
first run of the inning on an RBI single to right field and later
came around to score on a groundout by Stanton.
[to top of second column] |
ISU extended the lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth
inning, when Johnson ripped a two-out double into the
right-field corner and then came around to score on a single to
right field by Aguilera. Stanton then singled to advance
Aguilera to second base, with Hollenbeck coming to the plate.
Hollenbeck then ripped a single into right field and the ball
was bobbled by the EIU right fielder, allowing both Aguilera and
Stanton to score. Then, as the ball was cut off and the throw
came in attempting to get Hollenbeck at third, the throw got
away from the third baseman and rolled into the dugout, allowing
Hollenbeck to cross the plate and make it 7-1 in favor of the
Redbirds.
Aguilera drove in two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning
on a single to right field and widened the ISU lead to 9-1. The
Panthers tacked on a pair of runs, both via bases-loaded walks off
reliever Jack Landwehr, to cut the deficit to 9-3. ISU came right
back with five runs in the bottom half of the inning, courtesy of a
three-run triple by Kay, an RBI double by Johnson and an RBI single
by Aguilera, to make the score 14-3 after seven innings.
Four more runs would cross the plate in the bottom of the eighth
inning to make the score 18-3 for the Redbirds, and a scoreless
ninth inning by the Panthers gave ISU the victory.
Aguilera finished the game 6 for 6 with four RBIs in the victory
to lead the way, and Johnson finished a solid day with a 5-for-6
effort with four runs scored and two RBIs.
The Redbirds will return to action Tuesday for a nonconference
matchup against in-state foe Illinois in Champaign. First pitch is
scheduled for 4:05 p.m.
___
Game 1
Game 2
[Text from
news release received from
Illinois State University] |
