Box Score

In a weekend matchup featuring the top two teams in the early going of the Missouri Valley Conference schedule, the Dallas Baptist Baseball Team held on for a 2-1 win in game one of a double-header on Saturday at Illinois State.  The win is the seventh straight for DBU (22-7, 4-0), matching the Patriots' longest win streak since the 2012 season.

In a battle between Dallas Baptist ace, Paul Voelker, and Illinois State's, Dan Savas, who entered 7-0 on the season and 17-0 over the last two years, the two clubs remained scoreless through the first three innings.  In the top of the fourth, DBU's Justin Wall put the Patriots on the board first with a two-run blast over the wall in right-centerfield.  The homerun was the second of the season for Wall and would provide all the offense that DBU would need on a day in which runs were at a premium.

Voelker would post zeros on the hill versus the Illinois State (18-9, 4-3) lineup until the seventh inning.  After retiring a string of 14 consecutive batters, the Redbirds' Jack Czecsewski laced a two-out double to right.  Czecsewski would come around to score on a wild pitch and with runners at first and second and two out in the seventh, Brandon Koch emerged from the bullpen.  Koch's strikeout of Brian Rodemoyer put out the fire and kept DBU on top 2-1.

In the bottom of the eighth, Koch would face a one out situation with runners at second and third.  A strikeout of Mason Snyder and Logan Leverett ended the Illinois State threat and kept the one-run lead intact.

Unable to tack on any insurance runs in the top of the ninth, Koch took the mound again in the ninth holding onto a one-run advantage.   After a one-out single off the bat of Dennis Colon that was ripped right back at Koch, hitting the right-hander in his lower back, Brock Stewart followed with a single to right.  A wild pitch from the righty put runners at second and third with just one out.  With the tying and winning runs in scoring position, Koch bared down and was able to get a strikeout of Dylan Johnson and the Redbirds' lead-off hitter Sean Beesley to close out the game.

Koch's final strikeout was the sixth of the afternoon and set a new career-high for the sophomore from Plano, Texas.  On the day, Koch worked two-and-one-third innings without allowing a run to earn his fourth save of the season.

"We know what we've got in Brandon and that is a guy who is mentally tough and is going to compete on the mound," DBU Head Coach, Dan Heefner, said following the win.  "He's been in these situations this year and has proven he's going to find a way to win."

The loss for Illinois State's Dan Savas is his first since the 2011 season.  The Redbirds' ace worked eight innings and allowed two runs while striking out seven. 
For DBU's Voelker, he becomes the first Patriot pitcher this year to reach the five win mark.

With the victory, DBU remains the only undefeated team in the Missouri Valley Conference.  Game two of the Saturday afternoon double-header is scheduled to follow 45 minutes following the completion of game one.