Redbird baseball falls to Illinois

Posted on March 22, 2017

By ISU Sports Information

CHAMPAIGN – The Illinois State baseball team was limited to just four hits and a single run as the Redbirds fell to host Illinois Tuesday at Illinois Field, 7-1.

The Illini jumped on the Redbirds early with two runs in the bottom of the first inning and then slowly built a lead the Redbirds were unable to overcome. None of the Redbirds’ hits went for extra bases, as the visitors’ lone run came courtesy of an Owen Miller sacrifice fly in the fifth inning.

Redbird starter Colton Johnson allowed three runs over the first three innings. Jack Landwehr pitched the next four frames, allowing three more runs, although only two were earne. Jeff Lindgren allowed an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth before Jeffrey Barton got the final two outs of the game for the Redbird pitching staff.

The Illini (6-12) struck first Tuesday with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Starting with two outs, Casey Dodge and Michael Massey strung together back-to-back RBI singles to give the hosts an early advantage. Illinois tacked on another run in the second with a run-scoring single from Pat McInerney, and another in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Ben Troike, making it a 4-0 lead.

Illinois State (5-13) got on the scoreboard in the fifth when Miller provided a sac fly that allowed Joe Aeilts to score, but the Illini got that run right back in the sixth with a sac fly from Jack Yalowitz. A two-out RBI single from Massey in the seventh made it a 6-1 lead for the hosts, and another sac fly from Yalowitz in the eighth made it 7-1.

The Redbirds return to action this weekend with a three-game series at Xavier, in Cincinnati, Ohio, beginning Friday.

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