McLean County Times

The Illinois State baseball team faced a narrow defeat against Iowa, with a final score of 8-7 at Duane Banks Field. The game was marked by a late comeback from the Hawkeyes, who scored six runs in the sixth and seventh innings.

Illinois State, now holding a 21-21 record, saw strong performance from sophomore Daniel Pacella, who contributed two hits and two RBIs. Meanwhile, Iowa improved their overall record to 25-17 and continued their strong home performance with a 17-3 record.

The scoring began in the second inning when Iowa hit a solo home run and added another run for an early lead. Illinois State responded by scoring five consecutive runs across the third, fifth, and sixth innings. Pacella's RBI single in the third was instrumental during this period.

Iowa narrowed the gap with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. The turning point came in the seventh inning when a bases-loaded single combined with a throwing error allowed Iowa to score four runs, taking an 8-5 lead.

In an attempt to close the gap, senior Auggie Rasmussen hit his tenth home run of the season in the ninth inning for Illinois State, bringing them within one run. However, it was not enough to secure victory.

Sophomore Luke Lawrence extended his on-base streak to 28 games, marking it as the longest for any Redbird this season. Junior Carter Monke started on the mound for Illinois State, pitching 5.2 innings and recording five strikeouts. Despite this loss, Illinois State maintains a strong record of 19-4 when leading after six innings this year.

Looking ahead, Illinois State is set to host Western Illinois at Duffy Bass Field on Wednesday at 5 p.m., with coverage available on ESPN+.

For further updates on Illinois State Baseball activities and schedules, fans are encouraged to visit GoRedbirds.com or follow their social media channels.