Nathaniel Smith Associate Athletic Director/Revenue Generation | Illinois State University Athletics Website
Nathaniel Smith Associate Athletic Director/Revenue Generation | Illinois State University Athletics Website
Illinois State University's baseball team concluded its season with a 17-7 defeat against Evansville in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament semifinals. The game took place on Saturday in Evansville, Indiana.
In the second inning, Illinois State's junior player JT Sokolove hit a grand slam that initially put the Redbirds ahead 6-1. However, Evansville responded by scoring in four consecutive innings to take control of the game.
The Redbirds finished their 2024 season with an overall record of 30 wins and 27 losses. Meanwhile, Evansville improved to a record of 34 wins and 23 losses. They are set to face the top-seeded Indiana State later on Saturday for a chance to win the MVC Tournament Championship.
Evansville opened the game's scoring with one run in the first inning. Illinois State then made six hits in the second inning, including Sokolove's grand slam. Despite this early lead, Evansville scored seven runs in the third inning, two more in the fourth, five in the fifth, and another two runs in the sixth inning.
Sokolove's grand slam marked his first home run since March 20 against Northern Illinois. Junior Joe Husak made his debut start of the season during this game, pitching for 2.1 innings. In total, Illinois State used six pitchers throughout Saturday's match.
For further 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).
GoRedbirds.com also provides information about tickets for Illinois State events and other related content like merchandise and photos.
Alerts Sign-up