McLean County Times

The Illinois State baseball team secured a victory against Lindenwood with an 8-6 win at the Lou Brock Sports Complex in Saint Charles, Missouri. The Redbirds improved their record to 2-6, while Lindenwood now stands at 5-6.

Daniel Contreras led Illinois State's offensive efforts, achieving three hits in three at-bats and drawing a walk. Teammates Shai Robinson, Judah Morris, and Luke Stulga each contributed with home runs during the game.

Senior pitcher Joe Husak played a crucial role by pitching three innings of relief to secure the win. Fellow senior Carter Monke was credited with the victory after pitching six innings.

The game remained scoreless until the fifth inning when Contreras hit an RBI double to give Illinois State a 1-0 lead. The Redbirds extended their lead in the sixth inning with home runs from Robinson and Morris, making it 3-0. Lindenwood responded with two runs in the bottom of the sixth, narrowing the gap to 3-2.

In the seventh inning, Stulga hit his first home run of the year, increasing Illinois State's lead to 5-2. The Redbirds added three more runs in the eighth inning through contributions from Eric Machej and Kyle Gibson, bringing their total to eight runs.

Lindenwood managed a solo home run in the eighth inning and attempted a comeback in the ninth with three additional runs but ultimately fell short as Illinois State held on for an 8-6 victory.

Kyle Gibson reached base for his eighth consecutive game this season. Overall, Illinois State outhit Lindenwood 12-10. Monke's performance included allowing four hits and one earned run over six innings.

Illinois State will face Lindenwood again on Sunday at 1 PM CT at Lou Brock Sports Complex.

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