May 16, 2009

NORMAL, ILL. - The Illinois State Redbirds swept a doubleheader from the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville baseball team Saturday winning game one 11-3, then taking the nightcap 13-4.

SIUE drops to 14-35 while Illinois State improves to 23-21.

In game one, the Redbirds scored five times in the bottom of the first and cruised to an 11-3 win. The Cougars had led 1-0 on a first inning home run by Josh Street, his 13th of the year. Street is just two home runs shy of tying the school record of 15 set by Tony Duenas in 1985.

Street and Mike Hurt led the way for the Cougars, who managed just six hits the entire game. Each had a pair of hits. Street was 2-4 with the home run and an RBI double. Hurt was 2-3 with an RBI double. Dustin Brooks had the other two hits. He was 2-3.

Luke Vine suffered the loss for the Cougars, allowing 10 runs over five innings of work. He drops to 0-4 with the loss.

Game two started much like game one, with the Cougars grabbing an early lead. SIUE went up with two runs in the top of the first inning on three hits. Street and Zach Hawkins each drove in runs to put SIUE up 2-0. Street was the only Cougar with more than a single hit. He was 2-3.

Illinois State again used a big inning to take control. The Redbirds scored eight times in the bottom of the fourth and never looked back.

The Cougars got single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Dustin Brooks and Mike Hurt each picked up RBIs.

Illinois State closed out the scoring with a four-run sixth inning.

Spencer Patton took the loss in game two. Patton allowed eight runs on eight hits to drop to 4-6. Ryan Copeland tossed a complete game for the win, striking out eight SIUE hitters.

The Cougars and Redbirds will conclude the series at 1 p.m. Sunday.

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