SIUE Tops Illinois State in Series Opener, 4-1

[May 02, 2015] NORMAL - SIUE won the first game of a four-game set over the Illinois State baseball team in front of 1,016 fans Friday at Duffy Bass Field. The Cougars won, 4-1.

SIUE scratched out single tallies in the second and fifth innings, respectively, before adding a pair of late insurance runs. SIUE starter P.J. Schuster was sharp over eight innings of work, limiting the Redbirds to five hits and just one run, without allowing a walk. Brett Thomas closed out the game for his sixth save of the season.

Friday’s crowd was the second largest in Duffy Bass Field history.

SIUE (16-22) grabbed an early lead when Skyler Geissinger drove in the game’s first run. Geissinger’s single scored Parker Guinn, who had reached on a fielder’s choice and moved to third base on an errant pickoff throw.

The Cougars scored their second run in similar fashion in the fifth, when Nick Lombardo was hit by a pitch and moved to third on another errant pickoff attempt. Lombardo scored on a Keaton Wright double.

Illinois State (21-22) cut the Cougars’ lead in half when a Mason Snyder single scored Jared Hendren, who had also doubled.

That would be the Redbirds’ only run of the game, however, and SIUE added a pair of late insurance runs, scoring on a Jacob Stewart fielder’s choice in the eighth and a Wright double in the ninth.

Redbird starter Will Headean allowed two runs on five hits and three walks over seven innings of work. Mitch Vogrin and Jake Sale allowed one run each in relief duty.

Illinois State and SIUE are back in action Saturday with a twin bill beginning at 12 p.m.

[Matt Wing, Illinois State University]

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