By Illinois State Athletics
NORMAL – The Illinois State baseball team spotted Milwaukee an early six-run lead and rallied late, but it wasn’t enough as the Redbirds suffered an 8-5 loss in their home opener Friday at Duffy Bass Field.
Milwaukee (5-11) led 6-0 after a three-run fifth inning. Illinois State (7-10) cut the Panther lead to two with a four-run seventh inning, with most of the damage coming on Owen Miller’s three-run home run, but Milwaukee shut the Redbirds down the rest of the way to win the first game of a three-game series.
Milwaukee grabbed an early lead with two runs in the first inning. With two outs and a pair of runners in scoring position, Jeremy Wright singled to left field to score Billy Quirke and Eric Solberg. The Panthers added a run in the fourth with a home run from Cole Heili, then added three more in the fifth to make it a 6-0 lead, when Heili left the park again with a three-run home run.
The Redbirds scratched out their first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth, as Daniel Dwyer led off with a walk and Ryan Hutchinson singled through the right side. Joe Kelch singled to load the bases before Miller plated Dwyer with a sacrifice fly.
The Panthers responded in the sixth inning when Dan Barwick made his way around the bases to eventually score off a wild pitch to give Milwaukee a 7-1 lead.
Illinois State rallied in the bottom of the seventh, however, scoring four runs to cut Milwaukee’s lead to two. Blake Molitor doubled to begin the inning and Dwyer followed with a single. Hutchinson singled in Dwyer before the Redbirds’ biggest hit of the game, a three-run homer from Miller, cut the lead to 7-5.
Milwaukee got one run back in the top of the ninth as the Panthers capitalized on an errant pickoff throw to score an unearned run, and Illinois State was unable to mount another rally in the ninth.
Miller led Illinois State’s offensive charge, going 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs. Hutchinson and Kelch also had two hits apiece.
Jacob Hendren suffered the pitching loss for the Redbirds after allowing seven runs on 10 hits and two walks over six innings. Jeffrey Barton pitched two scoreless innings of relief, before Mitch Vogrin allowed the unearned run in the ninth.
The Redbirds are back in action Saturday for game two of a three-game series against Milwaukee at Duffy Bass Field. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. Saturday. Links for live video, audio and stats are available at GoRedbirds.com, and fans can receive live updates via Twitter, by following @RedbirdBaseball.
