Redbirds Earn First MVC Victory in 12-3 Win Over Evansville

[April 06, 2015]  NORMAL - The Illinois State baseball team posted its first Missouri Valley Conference win of the season Saturday with a 12-3 victory over Evansville at Duffy Bass Field, evening the three-game series with the Purple Aces at one game apiece.

Paul DeJong hit his NCAA-leading 11th home run of the season and Jacob Hendren pitched eight strong innings to earn his staff-leading fifth win of the season Saturday. Dennis Colon also homered for the Redbirds, while Mason Snyder and Jared Hendren drove in two runs apiece.

Illinois State (13-14, 1-4 MVC) scored first Saturday when Snyder provided an RBI single to score Ryan Koziol in the bottom of the first inning. Evansville (14-12, 4-4) tied the game in the second with a solo homer from Shain Showers, and took the lead in the third with an RBI single from Jarod Perry.

The Redbirds tied it up in the fourth with an RBI groundout from Colon, and took the lead in the fifth with DeJong’s two-run home run to left-center field.

Illinois State extended its lead in the sixth, plating seven runs in the frame to take control. The inning started with Colon’s two-run home run down the left-field line. Koziol followed with an RBI single moments later, before DeJong drove in another run with a single to left. Snyder doubled in Koziol, and Jared Hendren scored DeJong with an RBI groundout. Brian Rodemoyer capped the inning with an infield single that scored Snyder.

Evansville got one run back in the top of the eighth inning with a solo shot from Jonathan Ramon, but the Redbirds restored their nine-run lead in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI single from Jared Hendren.

Jacob Hendren went eight innings for the Redbirds Saturday, allowing just six hits, two walks and three runs, while striking out three. Jake Sale pitched a scoreless ninth, with two strikeouts.

DeJong led the Redbird offense with three hits. Koziol, Snyder, Rodemoyer and Colon added two hits each. DeJong and Colon drove in three runs apiece.

The Redbirds are back at Duffy Bass Field on Sunday for the finale of the three-game series with Evansville. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.

[Matt Wing, Illinois State University]

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