Ryan Swenson, CSCS, SCCC Assistant Athletic Director/Athletic Performance | Illinois State University Athletics Website
Ryan Swenson, CSCS, SCCC Assistant Athletic Director/Athletic Performance | Illinois State University Athletics Website
Illinois State University's baseball team emerged victorious against Belmont with a 6-4 win in the 2024 MVC Tournament at Charles H. Braun Stadium. This victory propels the Redbirds, now holding a 29-26 overall record, to face Southern Illinois later on Thursday.
The game saw junior Noah Rabin leading the Redbird offense with three hits, including two home runs and three RBIs. The team collectively managed nine hits. Belmont, with an overall record of 26-32, was eliminated from the tournament.
The Redbirds took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning through a Judah Morris sacrifice fly and a Greg Nichols single. Rabin's home run in the sixth extended their lead to 4-0. However, Belmont responded in the eighth inning by scoring three runs, narrowing Illinois State's lead to one.
In response, Illinois State added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning with back-to-back home runs from Rabin and Morris for a second consecutive day, making it 6-3. Belmont scored once more in the ninth but could not close the gap further.
Junior Tanner Perry started on the mound for Illinois State, pitching 7.2 innings and recording two strikeouts. The victory marked Illinois State's first MVC Tournament win since May 2021 when they defeated Evansville.
Illinois State is set to play Southern Illinois on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. CT. Fans can catch the game on ESPN+ or follow updates via GoRedbirds.com and various social media platforms.
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