Box Score

Game 13 of State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Tournament

WICHITA, KAN. -- Illinois State's offense exploded in a 17-8 win against top-seeded Wichita State Saturday to claim the 2010 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Tournament Championship at Eck Stadium.

The No. 2 seed Redbirds picked up 20 hits and scored 12 runs through the first three innings to secure their first Valley Championship since 1994 and improve to 31-22 overall. Illinois State finished the tournament 4-0 and received the Valley's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with the win.

Wichita State's offense also started strong, but was unable to keep pace with the Redbirds, who kept the Shockers from winning a third-straight Valley tournament title. The Shockers connected on 15 hits and used five pitchers in the losing effort as their record fell to 41-19 overall and 3-1 in the tournament.

Redbird pitcher Cam Verbeke entered the game in the fifth inning and picked up the win to improve to 2-0 in front of a crowd of 4,815. Shocker starting pitcher Jordan Cooper (10-3), the Valley's pitcher of the year, was credited with the loss.

Six players hit seven homeruns in the game that lasted three hours and 19 minutes. Shocker left fielder Bret Bascue led all players with two homers.

Redbird first baseman Zach Amrein and designated hitter Evan Kohli led all players with four hits each. Catcher Matt Mirabal batted in three runs for Illinois State on his three hits. Bascue led the Shockers with three RBI. Wichita State catcher Cody Lassley and third baseman Nate Goro each picked up three hits. Shocker second baseman Will Baez was credited with the game's three errors.

The two teams combined for 18 runs through three innings, including a 10-run second inning.

Illinois State grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning off a two-run homerun to left field from left fielder Anthony Ruffolo, which also scored second baseman Jake Thornton.

The Shockers took the lead with a five-run second inning, fueled by homeruns from Bascue and Lassley. Wichita State quickly tied the score with a two-run homer from Bascue that extended more than 390 feet to fall beyond the center field wall to score Travis Bennett, who walked to open the inning. Lassley added a two-run shot to left field to score Ryan Jones, who tripled. The Shockers connected on five hits in the inning.

The Redbirds' offense took advantage of Wichita State defensive miscues in the second inning to regain the lead with a five-run, five-hit inning of their own. Designated hitter Kohli led off the inning with Illinois State's second home run of the game. Back-to-back defensive miscues from Shocker second baseman Baez helped spark Illinois State's offense. Chad Hinshaw singled on a bunt, but advanced to second on a Baez error. Hinshaw advanced to third on Baez's third error of the game and Amrein scored. Hinshaw later scored on Kevin Tokarski's two-RBI single to center field to take the 6-5 edge. Tokarski, the tournament's most valuable player, gained a 7-5 edge for the Redbirds, scoring on Mirabel's single through the left side.

Big offense continued to dominate in the third inning when Shocker Bascue hit a solo shot to right center field -- the fifth total homer of the game -- to bring Wichita State within one run, 7-6. The Shockers' three other batters of the inning all struck out. Illinois State's Kohli singled to center field to open the bottom of the third inning for the Redbirds. He advanced to third on a double from Amrein and scored on Hinshaw's fly out to center field for an 8-6 lead with zero outs. Brett Kay advanced to second on a balk and Amrein scored. Kay scored when Thornton grounded out to second base. Mirabel's two-run homer sailed more than 330 feet over the left field wall for a 12-6 Redbird edge. Illinois State picked up five runs in four hits in the inning.

Illinois State's winning margin continued to grow in the fourth inning. An Amrein single through the right side scored Ryan Court and advanced Kohli, who had singled, to third base. Kohli scored on a fly out from Hinshaw and Amrein later scored on a passed ball for a 15-6 lead.

Wichita State's Travis Bennett knocked a double down the left field line in the fifth inning. He later scored with two outs on a Goro single to right field to make the score 15-7. Illinois State's offense continued to roll as Court doubled to right center to score Anthony Ruffolo for a nine-run lead.

The Shockers picked up three consecutive hits in the sixth inning with two outs. Lassley singled to left center, followed by a single from Preston Springer up the middle. Lassley scored on a single to center from Coy to cut the Redbirds' lead to eight runs. Redbird Amrein's solo shot to right field marked the seventh homer of the game overall and gave Illinois State a 17-8 lead later in the sixth inning.

Both teams went scoreless the remainder of the game. Shocker Grimes lined into a double play that ended the top of the seventh inning. Goro, who singled to get on base, was also out during the play on a toss from Redbird shortstop Kay to first baseman Amrein. Amrein later grounded into a double play himself in the bottom of the eighth inning. Pinch runner Ty Wiesemeyer was also out on the play from Shocker second baseman Baez to shortstop Grimes to first baseman Coy.