McLean County Times

Illinois State University baseball team defeated Southern Illinois University with a decisive 14-4 victory during the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Tournament on Thursday at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville, Indiana. This win allows the Redbirds to avoid elimination and advance to face the winner of the UIC/Evansville game on Saturday.

The Redbirds, now holding a 30-26 overall record, were led by junior Tyler Herron who went 3-for-4 at bat and contributed four RBIs. The team collectively amassed 11 hits during the game.

Southern Illinois, with an overall record of 33-26, moves to a 2-1 standing in the tournament.

The game saw Illinois State take an early lead with two runs in the second inning. They expanded their advantage in the third inning by scoring five more runs, including a two-RBI double from JT Sokolove, making it 7-0.

Southern Illinois responded in the sixth inning with four runs, narrowing the gap to 7-4. However, Illinois State answered back as Shai Robinson hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning, his fourth of the season, extending their lead to 10-4.

Herron further solidified their lead with a bases-clearing triple in the eighth inning. A wild pitch followed by Luke Lawrence's walk-off single secured a final score of 14-4 for Illinois State.

Junior Carter Monke started for Illinois State and pitched six innings while striking out nine batters. This victory marks their second consecutive MVC Tournament win against Southern Illinois since 2019.

Illinois State is set to play again on Saturday against either UIC or Evansville. The game will be available for viewing on ESPN+.

For updates on Illinois State Baseball, fans can visit GoRedbirds.com or follow them on social media platforms such as Twitter (@RedbirdBaseball), Instagram (isuredbirdbaseball), and Facebook (Illinois State Baseball).