By ISU Sports Information
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – A big day from Owen Miller helped Illinois State secure its second win in as many days over a Big Ten opponent, as the Illinois State baseball team scored a 10-4 win over Northwestern Sunday at North Charlotte Regional Park, as part of the Snowbird Classic.
Miller went 4-for-5 from the plate with two doubles and four RBIs, while Daniel Dwyer chipped in three hits and two RBIs in the Redbird win. Starter David Meade earned his first win of the season with a quality start, allowing three runs over six innings of work, and Jeffrey Barton picked up the first save of his Illinois State career with two scoreless innings to finish off the win.
Miller set the tone for the Redbirds early by scoring Joe Kelch with a single in the first inning to give Illinois State a 1-0 lead. The freshman shortstop didn’t stop there, as he provided much-needed insurance runs in the seventh and eighth innings. Miller doubled in Jared Hendren from first base in the seventh to give Illinois State a 6-4 cushion. Then in the eighth, Miller ripped a double off the left field wall, plating two runs and putting the game out of reach.
“He is a really talented young hitter,” Illinois State head coach Bo Durkac said of Miller. “But just as important is his ability to play defense. He’s made every routine play for us this year, and when you have a player with that kind of pop who also is making all the routine plays at shortstop, that’s what a coach dreams of.”
In the first inning, Kelch beat out an infield single. With two outs, Miller smacked a pitch back up the middle into center field to score Kelch from third base, giving the Redbirds an early 1-0 lead.
Meade (1-1), was sharp from the start of the game. The right hander set down the first two Northwestern hitters before giving up an infield single to the Wildcat’s left fielder, Joe Hoscheit. Meade then picked off Hoscheit to end the inning, however, and set down the next eight batters while racking up four strikeouts.
Meade ran into trouble in the fourth inning after retiring the first two hitters. The junior right-hander gave up five-straight singles and three runs as the Redbird lead disappeared. Midway through the fourth, Northwestern led 3-1.
The Redbirds answered back in the bottom of the fourth, though, with three runs of their own. Ryan Hutchinson reached base on an error by the Northwestern shortstop and Wildcat starter Cooper Wetherbee walked the next two batters to load the bases before exiting the game. Josh David then came out of the bullpen and walked in a run. Dwyer followed with the key at-bat in the inning, providing a two-run single to give Illinois State a 4-3 lead.
The Redbirds added a run in the sixth, but Illinois State reliever Rhett Rapshus gave it back in the seventh inning, via an unearned run. In the bottom of the seventh, Hendren reached first on an error and Miller made the Wildcats pay with an RBI double. Miller later scored on a fielder’s choice and the Redbirds led 7-4 after seven innings.
In the eighth, Miller put the game away with a double off the left field wall, scoring the final two runs of the game as the Redbirds went on to their second-straight win at the Snowbird Classic.
Meade pitched six innings, struck out four batters and gave up three earned runs. Barton came on in relief in the eighth with a three-run lead and struck out the side. With a six-run lead in the ninth, Barton stayed in the game and closed out the Wildcats for his first-career save.
The Redbirds return to action Tuesday when they face Michigan State at the Snowbird Classic in Port Charlotte, Florida.
