NORMAL, Ill. -- Indiana State baseball could not slow down Illinois State in the late innings of Thursday's game at Duffy Bass Field, allowing the two-seeded Redbirds to score seven unanswered runs en route to a 10-7 win. Following the loss, the Sycamores (37-16) are forced into an elimination game with eight-seed Southern Illinois Friday at 12 p.m. ET.
 
The two squads combined for 11 runs in the sixth inning of action as both teams batting around with Indiana State sending 12 batters to the plate and Illinois State (34-22) sending 10 to bat.
 
Indiana State wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as the Trees plated Jake Means in the first after the third baseman worked a one-out walk. Jarrod Watkins would move Means to third with a line drive to the gap in left before an RBI groundout off the bat of CJ Huntley scored Means.
 
Redbird third baseman Joe Butler tied the ballgame in the second with a leadoff home run to left field. Liberatore bounced back to get the next three Redbirds he faced, capping off the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.
 
Three innings later, Illinois State secured their first lead of the game when Nick Zouras led off the fifth with a double to left and came home two batters later on an Aidan Huggins single up the middle. Leadoff man John Rave setup runners at the corners for the Redbirds before Derek Parola made it a 3-1 lead for ILS on a sacrifice fly to left field.
 
It was the sixth inning that the Sycamores got things going, scoring six runs on two hits, two hit-by-pitches and a pair of errors as 12 ISU hitters came to the plate. Luke Fegen opened the frame with a HBP, advancing to third after a groundout and a passed ball. Means brought him home on a fielder's choice and would move to second after the throw home from third base was offline. CJ Huntley drove in Means two batters later to tie the game on a single to left. With the bases loaded, Dane Tofteland drove in the tying run on a single to left.
 
The Sycamores took advantage of an error at third base that scored two more before Fegen plated Tofteland on a sacrifice fly to right, capping off the six-run top half of the sixth, giving ISU a 7-3 lead.
 
Illinois State answered back with a five-spot in the bottom half of the inning. After the first two runners reach, the Sycamores made the call to the bullpen for right-hander Tyler Ward. The Rockport, Indiana native hit the first batter he faced before Jack Butler doubled in two runs on a misplayed ball to right field that went over the head of Roby Enriquez. A batter later, Huggins singled in the third run of the inning. Tyler Grauer entered with runners on the corners before John Rave took the first pitch he saw for a double to the gap in left, scoring two more runs.
 
The Redbirds added two more insurance runs in the eighth after Jordan Libman beat out an infield single with two outs, but an errant throw allowed two Redbirds to cross the plate.
 
Indiana State put two runners in scoring position in the ninth for pinch hitter Joe Boyle before Jacob Gilmore picked up a strikeout to claim his 11th save of the season.
 
Collin Liberatore was credited with the no-decision following a five and a third inning outing. A right-hander, Liberatore struck out five and walked three as the Redbirds went for five runs on six hits.
 
Tyler Ward took the loss in relief, falling to 5-2 on the year. The right-hander allowed three runs in his outing. Grauer issued three uncharacteristic walks in two and two-third innings while giving up two unearned runs.
 
Jack Anderson was credited with the relief win for Illinois State moving to 3-0 on the year. ILS starter Matt Walker allowed four runs in five and a third on four hits. Joe Butler, Zouras and Huggins each tallied a pair of hits for Illinois State while Jack Butler, Rave and Huggins drove in two runs each.
 
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