Box Score

Dallas Baptist completed a two-game sweep of a double-header with a convincing 9-1 win over Illinois State at Duffy Bass Field in Normal, Illinois on Saturday.  In another pitcher's duel between two of the top hurlers in the nation, DBU's Cy Sneed proved to be too much for the Redbirds offense, outlasting Illinois State's Jeremy Rhoades. 

The junior right-hander from Twin Falls, Idaho, worked six strong innings, allowing just one run on five hits.  His counterpart, Rhoades, who entered today's game as the top pitcher in the nation in strikeouts-per-nine-nnings, was roughed up by the DBU offense for seven runs over six innings.

Scoreless through the first two frames, DBU (23-7, 5-0) got on the board in the third inning after KJ Alexander came in to score on a Rhoades wild pitch.  Alexander started the inning with the first DBU hit of the day off the Illinois State (18-10, 4-4) righty, lacing the first pitch he saw to centerfield.

In the fourth, the Patriots added three more runs to the board.  A Nash Knight bunt with runners at first and second drew a wild throw to first from Rhoades, allowing both Austin Listi and Justin Wall to score.  With Knight standing on third base and one out, Trevin Sonnier laid down a safety squeeze bunt to the right side that plated Knight, putting DBU up 4-0.

After an Illinois State run in the fifth, the Patriots added three more runs in the sixth.  Following a lead-off double from Knight and a single by Alexander to center, Sonnier delivered an RBI single on a chopper to the right side of the infield.  The next DBU run came on a double play ball off the bat of Mike Wesolowski with the bases loaded.  Sonnier would come home to score the final run of the inning on a wild pitch by Rhoades.

DBU added another run in the seventh on a Wall RBI single to center and then one more insurance run in the eight when Sonnier touched home on another wild pitch.

The Patriots' Sean Stutzman came on in relief of Sneed in the seventh and worked three shutout innings to earn his third save of the year and close out the 9-1 victory.

"I was proud of our guys approach at the plate today," DBU Head Coach, Dan Heefner said.  "We knew Rhoades' numbers going into the game and how we had to execute at the plate and when KJ got his hit in the third, things just seem to get going from there."

The win is the eight straight for DBU and is the club's longest win streak since the 2009 season when the Patriots won nine in a row. 

DBU and Illinois State will meet in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 pm.  Fans can catch all the action on the Patriot Broadcasting Network (www.dbupatriots.com/showcase), beginning with the Patriot Pre-Game Show at 12:30 pm.