Illinois State falls in series opener with Xavier

Posted on April 2, 2016

DuffyBassFBPanoramaNORMAL- Xavier broke a scoreless tie with seven runs in the top of the seventh inning Friday to spoil a strong start from Illinois State’s Steve Heilenbach and send the Redbirds to their 10th-straight loss. Xavier won Friday’s series opener, 12-1.

Heilenbach kept the Musketeers off the scoreboard for six innings Friday, limiting the visitors to four hits and one walk, while striking out a career-high nine batters. The Redbird bullpen allowed 12 runs over the final three innings. Joe Gellenbeck produced half the runs, thanks to a pair of three-run home runs.

Heilenbach and Xavier starter Zac Lowther engaged in a pitchers’ duel early, as neither team was able to push a run across home plate over the first six innings.

Xavier (9-17) broke the scoreless tie in the seventh, however, plating seven runs off a pair of Redbird relievers. The inning started with Chris Givin’s single through the left side off Illinois State’s Rhett Rapshus. Nate Soria bunted Givin to second base and Rylan Bannon was hit by a pitch. Pinch hitter Blaine Griffiths produced the first run of the inning with a single to right field. Will LaRue brought in another run with an RBI single, before a two-run double from Daniel Rizzie chased Rapshus. Xavier’s Joe Gellenbeck followed with a three-run home run off Redbird reliever Mitch Vogrin to stake the visitors to a 7-0 lead.

Illinois State (7-18) got one run back in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice fly from Tyler Paulsen, but Xavier continued its offensive surge in the top of the eighth. Fallon drove in a run with a grounder to shortstop, while reaching on an error. That set the table for Gellenbeck to hit his second three-run home run of the day, giving the visitors a 10-run advantage, at 11-1.

Xavier tacked on another run in the top of the ninth when Givin scored on a passed ball.

Illinois State’s bullpen quartet of Rapshus, Vogrin, Jeffrey Barton and Marcus McKinney combined to allow all 12 of Xavier’s runs over the final three innings. Eight of the runs were earned.

The Redbird lineup collected just six hits, three of which came from Owen Miller. Xavier starter Zac Lowther struck out seven over the first six innings to earn the pitching win.

The Redbirds return to Duffy Bass Field Saturday for the second game of the series, beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday.

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