By ISU sports Information
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Steve Heilenbach delivered another quality start as the Illinois State baseball team earns its first MVC victory, defeating Indiana State 5-1 Friday night at Bob Warn Field.
Leading 2-0 in the top of the ninth inning, Illinois State (9-23, 1-2) scored three runs with three two-out base hits. Joe Kelch provided the big hit of the inning, a single into left field to score a pair and give the Redbirds a 5-0 lead. Jack Landwehr gave up a run in the bottom of the ninth but closed out the Sycamores to give Illinois State the win.
In the first inning, Daniel Dwyer tripled to lead off the game and Ryan Hutchinson brought him in with an infield single, giving the Redbirds an early 1-0 lead.
Heilenbach retired the Sycamores in order through two innings. In the third and fourth innings, Heilenbach stranded runners at second base.
The Redbirds added to their lead in the fifth inning off an Owen Miller single to left to score Hutchinson from second base. Jean Ramirez then lined out into a 1-4-3 triple play to end the inning. The Redbirds led 2-0 midway through the fifth.
Heilenbach retired seven-straight batters from the fourth through the sixth innings before allowing consecutive hits in the bottom of the sixth. With two out in the sixth and runners at second and third, Heilenbach got out of the inning with a ground out to shortstop.
Jack Czeszewski and Mitch Vogrin pitched scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively.
The Redbirds worked two walks and had three hits in the ninth inning as they added three runs to their lead. Leading 5-0 in the bottom of the ninth, Landwehr gave up two hits and a run before recording the final out of the game. Illinois State took game one of the series, 5-1.
Heilenbach (4-1) went six quality innings, giving up just five hits and no earned runs on his way to his fourth win of the year. Indiana State’s starter Justin Hill (4-2) took the loss after going five innings and giving up two runs.
Kelch and Hutchinson both had two RBIs in the win. Ramirez went 3-for-4 with a double and Miller also added an RBI to his total. Dwyer was 1-for-4 with a triple, a walk and two runs scored.
The Redbirds will look for two straight wins against the Sycamores tomorrow starting at 1 p.m. CT. David Meade will toe the rubber for Illinois State.
