Box Score

WICHITA, Kan. - Wichita State (44-17, 18-4) remained in a tie for first place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings with a 7-5 victory over Illinois State (20-30, 8-14) on Thursday night at Eck Stadium.

 

Damon Sublett led the Shockers going 3-for-4 with an RBI, a double and a walk, while Matt Brown drove in three runs.  Starter Travis Banwart earned the win (9-4) going seven innings and giving up five runs on eight hits.  Noah Booth picked up his fifth save of the year with two shutout innings and four strikeouts.

 

Kevin Dubler led Illinois State going 2-for-4 with three RBI and a home run.  Reliever Jim Sajewich (3-2) took the loss going two innings and giving up two runs on four hits.

 

The Redbirds jumped all over Banwart in the first inning as Collin Salzenstein and Matt Bolt both singled to put runners on the corners with nobody out.  Ryan Anetsberger singled through the right side to score Salzenstein before a groundout scored Bolt to give ILS an early 2-0 advantage.

 

The Shockers threatened in the bottom of the first after back-to-back singles by Andy Dirks and Derek Schermerhorn, but WSU bunted into a double play to end the threat.

 

A one-out walk to Dirks in the third inning came back to haunt the Redbirds as Dirks moved to second on a Schermerhorn groundout and scored on a single up the middle by Sublett to cut the deficit to 2-1.

 

ILS got the run back in the fourth as Banwart walked leadoff hitter Kyle Cherney.  The Redbirds bunted him over and he eventually scored on a bunt single by Bolt.

 

WSU answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth after a leadoff double by Conor Gillaspie.  With one out, Josh Workman singled through the left side to make the score 3-2.

 

A solo home run by Schermerhorn in the fifth tied the game at five before Kevin Dubler hit a two-run home run in the seventh to give ILS a 5-3 lead. 

 

Schermerhorn led off the seventh with a walk and a single to right center by Sublett put runners at the corners with nobody out.  Brown then laced a double into right field to score both runs and tie the game at five.  A fly ball by Gillaspie moved Brown to third and pinch hitter Tyler Hill drove him in with a single through the left side to give the Shockers a 6-5 lead.

 

WSU added an insurance run in the eighth inning.  Dusty Coleman and Dirks hit back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second with nobody out.  Schermerhorn laid down a successful bunt to move both runners up, but the Redbirds intentionally walked Sublett to load the bases.  A groundout to second base by Brown scored Coleman to make the score 7-5.

 

The two teams meet in game two of the three-game series on Friday at 7 p.m. with game three coming on Saturday at 2 p.m.

 

-Wichita State-