By ISU Sports Information
NORMAL- Daniel Dwyer collected half the Redbirds’ hits and drove in half the team’s runs, and closer Jack Landwehr ended the game when he snagged a line drive and doubled off a runner at second base Friday as the Illinois State baseball team earned a 6-4 win over visiting Wichita State at Duffy Bass Field.
Dwyer tallied three hits in the win, none bigger than a bases-clearing double in the second inning that helped the Redbirds take the lead for good. Landwehr got the final six outs for the Redbirds to earn his fourth save of the season.
With one out and the potential game-tying run standing in the batter’s box, Wichita State’s Alec Bohm hit a liner right back to Landwehr, who quickly reached out with his left hand to catch the smash. The junior right-hander alertly turned and looked to second base, where he caught Chase Rader straying too far. Landwehr then threw a strike to shortstop Owen Miller for the game’s final out.
Wichita State (18-32, 7-9 MVC) jumped on Illinois State early, plating two runs in the top of the first inning. Redbird starter Steve Heilenbach struck out the first two batters of the inning, but Alec Bohm and Greyson Jenista singled with two outs, and both scored on Gunnar Troutwine’s two-run triple.
Illinois State (16-31, 6-9) turned the two-run deficit into a two-run lead, however, in the bottom of the second. Starting with two outs, Brian Rodemoyer drew a bases-loaded walk. Dwyer then promptly cleared the bases with a three-run double to left field. Illinois State added another run two innings later, aided by two Wichita State errors.
The Shockers cut the Redbirds’ lead to one with two runs in the top of the seventh as Josh DeBacker drew a bases-loaded walk and Trey Vickers provided a sacrifice fly. The Redbirds got one back in the bottom of the inning when Miller’s single to right-center field scored Dwyer from second base.
Neither team scored the rest of the way. Wichita State left 17 runners on base, including at least one in each inning Friday. The Shockers left the bases loaded twice.
Heilenbach allowed two runs on five hits over 4.2 innings. He walked six and struck out seven. Jake Sale earned the pitching win with 1.1 innings of relief work. Sale allowed two runs, only one of which was earned. Mitch Vogrin and Jack Czeszewski followed with scoreless outings, before Landwehr got the final six outs.
The Redbirds return to action Saturday in the second game of a three-game series with Wichita State.
