Redbird baseball falls to Tennessee Tech

Posted on March 14, 2017

Jack Landwehr pitched the Redbirds out of a seventh innings jam in ISU’s loss to Tennessee Tech on Tuesday. (Photo courtesy GoRedbirds.com)

By ISU Sports Information

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Illinois State baseball team rallied late but came up a run short in the opening game of its midweek series at Tennessee Tech on Tuesday afternoon. The Redbirds lost to the Golden Eagles, 4-3, at Bush Stadium.

Illinois State (4-9) trailed by three runs heading into the ninth inning. A two-out, two-run single from Jordan Libman got the Redbirds within one run, and although Libman later advanced into scoring position, he was stranded there as Tennessee Tech closer Ethan Roberts ended the comeback bid with a strikeout to end the game.

Owen Miller led the Redbirds offensively, going 3-for-4, marking his fifth-straight multi-hit game. John Rave reached base twice and stole two bases.

Tennessee Tech (12-5) scored first with a single tally in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a Kevin Strohschein double that scored Alex Junior. The Golden Eagles added another run in the fifth, as David Garza’s groundout to shortstop plated Matt Jones and made it a 2-0 lead for the hosts.

The Redbirds cut the lead in half with a run in the top of the seventh. Miller and Noah Sadler singled to start the inning, and Miller scored on John Rave’s RBI fielder’s choice. But Tennessee Tech got the run back in the bottom of the inning when Junior doubled to left-center field to score Jones.

Illinois State made one last push in the top of the ninth, when Libman’s two-out single through the left side of the infield scored Sadler and Rave, cutting the Golden Eagles’ lead to one. Ryan Hutchinson then reached on an error to move Libman to second base, but Tennessee Tech’s Roberts struck out Joe Butler to end the game.

Redbird starter Jeffrey Barton allowed two runs over four innings in his first start of the season. Jeff Lindgren and Matt Walker each turned in scoreless innings before Braden Niksich was charged with one unearned run in the seventh inning; Jack Landwehr got the Redbirds out of the jam with no further damage in the seventh. David Meade allowed back-to-back two-out doubles that produced a run in the eighth.

The Redbirds return to Bush Stadium Wednesday for a 3 p.m. game with the Golden Eagles.

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year. It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city. Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University. We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk. Going to work every day for some people means…