McLean County Times

In Nashville, Tennessee, the Illinois State baseball team faced a setback in their weekend series against Belmont, losing 11-6 on Saturday afternoon at E.S. Rose Park.

Illinois State, now with a record of 7-13 overall and 1-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), managed seven hits but left seven runners stranded during the game. Meanwhile, Belmont improved to 9-15 overall and also holds a 1-1 MVC record after securing 13 hits, including three home runs.

Key performances for Illinois State included Daniel Contreras going 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Daniel Pacella contributed with a home run as part of his 2-for-3 performance. Luke Stulga added to the effort with one hit and two RBIs.

The pitching lineup for Illinois State saw Tanner Perry take the loss, allowing nine earned runs over four innings. Leo Berger pitched one inning, giving up one earned run on three hits. MacCallan Conklin and Jack Finn each pitched an inning, with Finn allowing one earned run. Toby Schriefer closed out the game without allowing any earned runs in his inning.

Illinois State initially took the lead with four runs in the second inning. Daniel Contreras's RBI single started the scoring, followed by Josh Outlaw reaching home due to an error by Belmont's shortstop. Luke Stulga capped off the inning with an RBI single.

Belmont responded strongly by scoring ten consecutive runs across several innings—two in the second, three in the third, four in the fourth, and one more in the fifth inning. The Redbirds managed to add two more runs in the seventh inning through a solo home run from Daniel Pacella and an RBI double from Graham Mastros. However, Belmont countered with another solo home run to finalize their victory at 11-6.

Notable achievements from this game include Morris extending his on-base streak to 17 games and Pacella hitting his sixth home run of the season. Contreras also recorded his second three-hit game of 2025.

The series between Illinois State and Belmont is set to conclude on Sunday morning at E.S. Rose Park.

For updates on Illinois State Baseball, fans can visit GoRedbirds.com or follow their social media channels.