McLean County Times

The Illinois State baseball team faced a challenging doubleheader against the 25th-ranked Oklahoma State at O'Brate Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Sunday. The Redbirds were defeated in both games, losing 16-1 in the first game and 18-1 in the second.

In the opening game, Oklahoma State quickly took control with four runs in the first inning. Illinois State managed to score one run in the second inning with a single from Daniel Contreras. However, the Cowboys dominated by scoring 12 more runs, securing a run-rule victory.

During the second game, Illinois State initially led with a solo home run by Daniel Pacella in the first inning. Oklahoma State responded with a leadoff home run in the second inning to tie the score at 1-1. The Cowboys then added four unearned runs in the third inning to take a 5-1 lead. They continued their offensive momentum by scoring an additional 13 runs over the next three innings, resulting in an 18-1 win and clinching the series.

Key performances for Illinois State included Toby Schriefer making his debut during game one and Anthony Pardo providing 1.2 innings of scoreless relief also during his debut. In game two, Kyle Gibson was notable for achieving multiple hits, going 2-for-3 at bat.

Looking ahead, Illinois State is set to play against Northwestern on Tuesday at Evanston with a scheduled start time of 3:30 PM.

For further updates on Illinois State Baseball, fans can visit GoRedbirds.com or follow their social media accounts on X (@RedbirdBaseball), Instagram (isuredbirdbaseball), and Facebook (Illinois State Baseball).