March 23, 2008

Final Stats

NORMAL, Ill. - Senior Kevin Konsler's single with one out in the top of the seventh inning sparked a Redbird rally and ended a bid for a no-hitter, but it wasn't enough. The Illinois State baseball team dropped the series finale, 7-2, to No. 15 Wichita State in a Missouri Valley Conference game Sunday at Duffy Bass Field.

Freshman Corey Maines suffered his second loss of the season, after he threw more than 100 pitches in 4.1 innings of work. Maines surrendered three runs on seven hits, while walking four and striking out four. It wasn't until the fourth inning when the Shockers were able to put anything on board, as Maines was able to work his way out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the top of the first inning.

"Corey's pitch-count got over 100 pitches, and when we were getting ready to take him out he didn't have the command that he had in his last start," said head coach Jim Brownlee. "I thought he did a pretty good job and gave us a good outing. But we weren't able to do anything offensively, which is hard on your pitching. Wichita State has really good pitching, and they have a tendency of striking out a lot of batters. You have to make an adjustment in the batter's box when the pitchers are hitting their spots, and it is a good learning lesson for our young hitters."

Illinois State (9-8, 0-3 MVC) managed only four hits while striking out 18 times, the most for a Redbird team since April 9, 1994, when Illinois State struck out 21 times against Wichita State in a 12-inning affair at Duffy Bass Field. The Redbirds could not get anything started offensively until the Shockers' starting pitcher, Anthony Capra (3-0), left the game after throwing six innings of hitless ball, while striking out a career-high 12 batters and walking three.

After Sophomore Gabe DeMarco reached base via a walk to open the bottom of the seventh, Konsler stepped up and lined a single off relief pitcher Grant Muncrief into right field, ending the Redbirds' hitless drought. Freshman Ronnie Calvird then drilled a single to centerfield to score DeMarco and move Konsler to second, as Illinois State cut into the deficit, 3-1.

Pinch hitter Anthony Ruffolo kept the rally going when he hit a grounder to second base, and the throw to second got away from shortstop Dusty Coleman. Konsler was able to score on the play, and Calvird moved to third. But relief pitcher Andy Womack entered the game and retired the next two batters to hold onto Wichita State's lead, 3-2.

Wichita State was able to build upon its lead in the top of the eighth by scoring four runs on four hits, highlighted by a two-run triple from third baseman Conor Gillaspie. The Shockers continued to fan the Redbird hitters, as four of the final six batters struck out to end the game.

The Redbirds will travel to St. Louis to take on the Saint Louis University Billikens Tuesday, March 25. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m.