McLean County Times

In their first Missouri Valley Conference game of the 2025 season, the Illinois State baseball team emerged victorious over Belmont with an 8-5 win on Friday night at E.S. Rose Park in Nashville, Tennessee.

Senior Judah Morris was a standout performer for Illinois State (7-12 overall, 1-0 MVC), hitting two home runs in consecutive plate appearances. Belmont (8-15 overall, 0-1 MVC) managed six hits and left six runners stranded during the game.

The top hitters for Illinois State included Judah Morris with a performance of 3-for-5, including a double and two home runs contributing to three RBIs. Brayden Bakes went 2-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored. Josh Outlaw contributed with one hit in three at-bats, driving in two runs and getting hit by a pitch.

On the pitching side, Thomas Harper earned his second win of the season with six innings pitched, allowing four hits and three earned runs while walking three and striking out five batters. Braden Roesch pitched for 0.2 innings, giving up two hits and two earned runs along with two walks. Joe Husak secured his third save of the season by pitching 2.1 innings without allowing any hits or walks and striking out one batter.

The Redbirds took an early lead with back-to-back home runs from Judah Morris and Brayden Bakes in the first inning, establishing a 3-0 advantage. In the third inning, Daniel Pacella and Morris hit consecutive long balls to increase the lead to 5-0. Luke Stulga added an RBI single in the same inning to make it 6-0.

Josh Outlaw further extended Illinois State's lead to 8-0 with a two-RBI single in the fifth inning. Belmont responded in the sixth inning with a two-RBI single followed by a sacrifice fly to narrow the gap to 8-3. The Bruins scored twice more in the seventh inning through an RBI double down the left field line, bringing them closer at 8-5.

Judah Morris recorded his eighth and ninth home runs of the season on Friday while extending his on-base streak to sixteen games. Josh Outlaw achieved his first multiple RBI game as part of Illinois State's lineup, while Thomas Harper tied his career high by pitching six innings.

Illinois State is set to continue its series against Belmont on Saturday at E.S. Rose Park at 2 PM CT.

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