By ISU Sports Information
EUGENE, Ore. – Daniel Dwyer tied the game with an inside-the-park home run in the top of the seventh inning, but No. 9 Oregon pushed back ahead with three runs in the bottom half of the inning as the host Ducks scored an 8-5 win over the visiting Redbirds Thursday night at PK Park.
Illinois State (1-3) allowed five runs in the bottom of the first inning, but slowly clawed its way back into the game, thanks to a strong showing from its bullpen. The trio of Jeff Lindgren, Mitch Weis and Mitch Vogrin combined for 5.2 scoreless innings as the Redbirds fought back to tie the game.
Owen Miller went 3-for-4 from the plate with two doubles and two RBIs to lead the Redbird bats. Ryan Hutchinson added two base hits and an RBI.
“It’s really hard to spot the No. 9 team in the country a five-run lead and have any chance of winning the game,” said Illinois State head coach Bo Durkac. “But I was impressed with the way our guys battled back to tie the game against a very talented freshman pitcher.
“All in all, I think we outplayed Oregon after the first inning, but unfortunately, that wasn’t good enough tonight. We have to be better tomorrow.”
Oregon (4-0) got to Illinois State starter Jeffrey Barton early, tagging him for five runs on three hits and three walks. Phil Craig-St. Louis got the scoring started with a bases-loaded triple, and later scored on a Steven Packard single. Packard came in on a wild pitch to plate the fifth run of the inning.
The Redbirds got two runs back in the second, on run-scoring singles from Hutchinson and Nick Kowalczuk, and two more in the fourth, thanks to a two-run double from Miller.
Dwyer’s inside-the-park homer with two outs in the seventh tied the game, but Oregon pushed back ahead for good in the bottom half of the inning, scoring two runs on passed balls and another on a two-out, run-scoring single from Matt Kroon.
A double play spoiled a scoring opportunity for the Redbirds in the eighth inning, and Illinois State went down in order in the ninth.
Lindgren kept the Redbirds in the game with 2.2 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and two walks, while fanning five. Weis followed with two perfect innings before Vogrin pitched a perfect frame. Jack Czeszewski surrendered a hit and two walks to allow the three seventh-inning runs, although only two were earned. Jack Landwehr got the final out in the seventh before Rhett Rapshus tossed a 1-2-3 eighth.
The Redbirds return to PK Park for the second game of the four-game set Friday night at 8 p.m. CT.
