By ISU Sports Information
MIAMI – Florida International scored eight runs in the fifth inning thanks to nine-straight hits, all with two outs, as the host Panthers earned an 11-6 win over the visiting Illinois State baseball team Wednesday at FIU Baseball Stadium.
Jean Ramirez staked Illinois State to a 5-1 lead with a three-run home run in the third inning, but the Panthers cut the Redbird lead in half in the bottom of the inning before taking the lead for good in the eight-run fifth.
“It’s frustrating. Jeanie finally got on track with a big, three-run home run to get us the lead, and we gave them two back in the bottom of the third. We still had a 5-3 lead after the top of the fifth, and then the wheels just came off,” said Illinois State head coach Bo Durkac. “We just don’t have enough pitching that can get swings and misses, that can pitch down in the zone enough to induce double-play ground balls and soft contact. And when you’re constantly up in the zone, all those little flares that pitchers hate to give up, seem to fall for hits.”
Illinois State (4-8) grabbed an early lead when Tyler Paulsen doubled in Nick Zouras in the top of the second. Florida International (6-9) got the run back in the bottom half when Nick Mira singled to left to score Nick Day.
The Redbirds pushed back ahead with four runs in the third when Brian Rodemoyer drove in Joe Kelch with a sacrifice fly, before Ramirez provided the Redbirds’ biggest hit of the game, a three-run home run to left field that gave Illinois State a 5-1 lead.
The Panthers got half of those four runs back in the bottom of the third. Kenny Meimerstorf hit an RBI double on a full count to plate the first run. Irving Lopez then chased Meimerstorf home with a two-out single up the middle, cutting the Redbird lead to two at 5-3.
Illinois State’s lead did not survive the fifth inning, however, as Florida International scored all eight of its runs in the inning with two outs. Jeffrey Barton retired the first two batters in the inning, but Day, Lopez and Rey Perez strung together consecutive hits to chase Barton from the game.
Jake Sale entered for the Redbirds and did not record an out, allowing six-consecutive hits as the Panthers took the lead for good. Mira, Kolby Follis, Jack Schaaf, Austin Rodriguez, Zach Files and Meimerstorf all reached base via run-scoring hits before Marcus McKinney finally got the Redbirds out of the inning.
The Redbirds got one run back in the eighth when Zouras scored Rodemoyer with an RBI groundout.
Ryan Hutchinson reached base three times for Illinois State, on two singles and a walk. Ramirez tallied two hits in the loss. Owen Miller reached twice on a hit and a walk.
Illinois State starter Mitch Weis allowed three runs on six hits and two walks over the first three innings. Weis struck out four. Barton retired the first five batters he faced before allowing three-straight hits in the fifth innings, all of which led to runs. Sale took the pitching loss for Illinois State after surrendering six-straight hits without recording an out. McKinney pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, and Rhett Rapshus and Jack Landwehr each tossed scoreless innings to finish out the game.
The Redbirds have the day off Friday, before finishing their Florida trip back at the Snowbird Classic, in Port Charlotte, on Friday and Saturday. Illinois State will first play Western Michigan at 11 a.m. Friday. The Redbirds will then play both Central Michigan, at 11 a.m., and Butler, at 2:30 p.m., on Saturday, in Illinois State’s only scheduled doubleheader this season.
