McLean County Times

Illinois State University faced a setback in their baseball season with a 12-7 loss to Jacksonville at John Sessions Stadium. Juniors Shai Robinson and Daniel Pacella were notable contributors, securing four of the Redbirds' nine hits.

The defeat leaves Illinois State at 0-4 for the year, while Jacksonville improves to 2-4 overall.

In the game, Jacksonville took an early lead with two runs in the first inning. They extended their advantage to 7-0 after adding five more runs in the second inning. Illinois State responded in the sixth inning, scoring four runs through contributions from Robinson and senior Kyle Gibson. The Dolphins countered with three additional runs in their half of the sixth, bringing the score to 10-4.

Illinois State attempted another comeback in the seventh inning by scoring three more runs, but Jacksonville secured their victory by adding two final runs in their half of the seventh.

The Redbirds' bullpen performed well despite the loss, allowing only five hits and striking out six over 6.2 innings. Gibson recorded his first multi-RBI game for Illinois State with three RBIs.

Illinois State will complete its series against Jacksonville on Sunday morning at John Sessions Stadium.

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