NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State Redbirds picked up victories in both games of a Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader on Saturday, earning a 4-2 win in game one and a 9-1 win in game two against the Indiana State baseball team.

The pair of losses drop the Sycamores to 17-16 overall and an even 7-7 in the MVC. The Redbirds improve to 21-16, 5-3 in league play.

In game one, Indiana State broke the scoreless tie in the fourth inning with a two-out rally. Junior Mike Fitzgerald and senior Jordan Pearson drew back-to-back walks before junior Tyler Wampler reached on a fielding error by the Illinois State first baseman. The Sycamores scored one run with junior Cody Zimmerman at the plate, as Wampler beat a throw to second base on Zimmerman's ground ball to third base. Sophomore Landon Curry made it 2-0 in favor of the Sycamores with ISU's first hit of the inning, lining a single to left field.

Junior Sean Manaea struck out eight Illinois State batters and allowed just two hits and four total baserunners through five innings before the Redbirds rallied in the bottom of the sixth. Chad Hinshaw led off by reaching base on catcher's interference, moving to second base on Zac Johnson's bloop single down the right field line. Eric Aguilera put the Redbirds in front when he came up next, hitting his fifth home run of the season over the wall in right-center. Illinois State tacked on an insurance run later in the inning on a one-out single to center by Marshall Vallandingham.

Indiana State tallied a base hit in each of the first eight innings, but left 13 runners on base in the 4-2 loss.

Manaea (5-3) took the loss in game one, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits in 5.1 innings on the mound. The Sycamore southpaw fanned nine batters for the game, pushing his season total to 72 strikeouts.

Curry led the team with a 3-for-5 effort with one run batted in at the plate, while senior Robby Ort also picked up two hits, going 2-for-5.

In game two, Indiana State took another early lead as redshirt Koby Kraemer extended his team-leading hitting streak to 10 games with a first-inning RBI single, plating Curry from second base.

Illinois State came back with single runs in the third and fourth, taking advantage of four walks and three wild pitches from senior Devin Moore over the pair of innings. The Redbirds added two runs in the fifth inning and tacked on five more in the seventh, including a solo home run by Chad Hinshaw.

Moore (3-4) took the loss, allowing four runs on five hits with five walks and six strikeouts over five innings on the mound. Juniors Josh Negele, Logan Willard, Josh Dove and Tyler Browning combined for the final four innings out of the ISU bullpen.

Curry (2-for-5, double) and Kraemer (2-for-4, RBI) both tallied multi-hit games in game two with Ort (1-for-3) extending his hitting streak to nine games.

The Sycamores have now lost nine consecutive series in Normal, dating back to the 1993 season.

Indiana State and Illinois State play the final game of their series on Sunday with first pitch set for 2:00 p.m. (ET). Junior Daniel Peterson (1-3, 4.87 ERA) and Illinois State senior Brad Sorkin (4-4, 4.02 ERA) are set to take the mound.