The Illinois State baseball team came up short in a back-and-forth game at No. 20 Florida Atlantic Tuesday afternoon at FAU Stadium. Florida Atlantic won its ninth-straight game, 6-4.
Illinois State took an early lead but could never pull away from the hosts, who led by three runs heading into the ninth inning. Illinois State brought the potential go-ahead run to the plate in the final frame, but the nationally-ranked Owls escaped with the win.
Illinois State (6-7) jumped out to a two-run lead in the first inning as Paul DeJong hit his team-leading fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot to left field, to give the Redbirds an early lead.
Hendren and Dwyer led the Redbird bats with two hits apiece, accounting for half of the Redbirds' eight hits.
Lambert allowed three runs, five hits and four walks over 4.2 innings, while striking out a pair, in his first start of the year. Czeszewski suffered the loss after allowing three hits, a walk, and the Owls' fourth run of the game. Headean allowed two runs over an inning of work before Jake Sale got the final two outs of the eighth inning.
The Illinois State baseball team is back in action Wednesday, as they travel to Winter Haven, Florida, for their first of four games at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. The Redbirds will play Bowling Green, Maine, LIU-Brooklyn and Butler, March 11-15, before returning home to Duffy Bass Field for their home opener against Illinois-Chicago on March 18.
Information Courtesy of GoRedbirds.com
