NORMAL, Ill. ? Indiana State began an eight-game road swing on Friday at the newly constructed Duffy Bass Field against Illinois State. However, it was the not the start the Sycamores (14-10, 1-3 MVC) had hoped for, as the Redbirds (11-7, 3-1 MVC) scored 11 runs in three innings to pick up an 11-6 win in the first of three games over the weekend.
Indiana State starter Eric Valdez (1-2) struggled on the mound, as he allowed 10 earned runs on 13 hits in 4.2 innings of work. Reliever Scott Harlan gave up a run in 1.1 innings of relief before giving way to freshman Matt Bayes, who threw two innings of scoreless relief while striking out one. Illinois State starter Ryan Camp (2-1) picked up the win for the Redbirds, as he allowed just three earned runs on seven hits in seven innings of work.
The Sycamores got on the scoreboard early with two runs in the top of the first inning off Camp. Kyle Burnam picked up a one-out single up the middle and then advanced to third base on a double to right field by Brady Shoemaker. Nick Ciolli then singled to center field to score Burnam from third and Shoemaker scored from second base as Illinois State center fielder Tyler McNeely misplayed the ball to plate the first two runs of the game.
In the bottom of the third inning, the Redbirds tied the game with a couple of runs on three hits. Corey Maines led off the inning with a long home run to right field to cut the Indiana State lead to 2-1. The Redbirds then loaded the bases with no body out, but Valdez forced a ground out to Luke Fieser at third base who threw home to force out Collin Salzenstein. Now with one out, Anthony Ruffalo drove in the second run of the inning with a sacrifice fly to deep left field to tie the score at 2-2.
Illinois State then took the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, thanks to a couple of clutch two-out hits. With runners on first and second, Tyler McNeely doubled down the left field line to score Jake Thornton and give the Redbirds runners on second and third. Both those base runners came around to score soon after on a single to left field off the bat of Mike Stalowy, which made the score 5-2 after four innings of play.
A solo home run off the bat of Luke Fieser in the top of the fifth inning cut the Illinois State lead to 5-3, however the Redbirds answered with six runs on six hits in the bottom half of the inning to extend their lead to 11-3. The big blow came off the bat of McNeely, who hit a triple over the head of Ciolli in center field to clear the bases and plate three more runs for the Redbirds.
The Sycamores attempted a late inning comeback with three runs in the top of the ninth inning, but it was not enough as Illinois State held on for the 11-6 victory. Ciolli drove in Ryan Strausborger from third on a sacrifice fly. Later in the inning, Burnam scored on a RBI single by Tyler Graham and Fieser scored on a balk by Kyle Nelson for the final run of the game.
Fieser finished the day 2-for-2 with two runs scored and a RBI, while Burnam and Graham each added two hits for the Sycamores.
The Sycamores and the Redbirds will resume their weekend conference series on Saturday at 3 p.m. EST at Duffy Bass Field, weather permitting.
