THE LEAD
A two-out single by Daniel Salters in the bottom of the ninth proved to be the game-winner in a 6-5 walk-off victory for No. 15 Dallas Baptist over Illinois State on Saturday at Horner Ballpark.  In the dramatic comeback win, DBU (21-3, 4-1) erased a 4-0 deficit in the sixth inning and tied the game in the eighth at five apiece, before Salters' base hit to right clinched the series and lifted the Patriots to their 13th straight win at home dating back to the 2014 season.
 
Illinois State (11-12, 0-2) would get on the board in the early going, as the Redbirds struck for two runs in the first inning.  A pair of hit batters by DBU starter, Cory Taylor, and two errors in the inning led to a 2-0 Illinois State lead.  The Redbirds would add two more to the scoreboard in the fourth when Daniel Dwyer smashed a two-run home run over the wall in right.
 
Trailing 4-0 into the sixth inning against Illinois State starter, Jacob Hendren, DBU's David Martinelli put the Patriots on the board with a two-run blast to right for his team-leading sixth home run of the year.  In the seventh, DBU drew even on a two-out double off the bat of Tagg Duce that scored both Drew Turbin and Camden Duzenack.
 
Tied 4-4 in the eighth, Illinois State loaded the bases against DBU closer, Brandon Koch.  A walk to Jared Hendren brought in the go-ahead run and kept the bases loaded.  With one out, a line drive by Sean Beesly was snared on a dive by Turbin at second base and his race to the bag beat Ryan Koziol to second to turn a critical double play and get DBU out of the jam.
 
Down 5-4 into the eighth, a two-out rally was sparked by Chane Lynch on a double to deep right center.  With Lynch on second, Turbin laced a single back up the middle to bring the tying run across the plate.
 
After Koch worked a scoreless ninth, DBU's Tagg Duce reached first on a throwing error from ISU third baseman, Paul Dejong.  Duce would end up taking second on a wild pitch, before Trooper Reynolds was intentionally walked to set up a force out.  With two out and runners at first and second, Daniel Salters ripped a grounder through the right side off of Illinois State reliever, Ryan Koziol, bringing Duce home with the game-winning run.
 
DBU'S DANIEL SALTERS – ON THE GAME-WINNING HIT
"Tagg Duce set the whole thing up by beating the throw to first.  I know I've been struggling at the plate lately, but I still have a lot of confidence and was just looking for something that I could drive."
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
3 – DBU is 3-0 in one-run games this year.
5 – The Patriots hit five doubles on the day with one each from Camden Duzenack, Tagg Duce, Nash Knight, Chane Lynch, and Justin Wall.
13 – DBU has now won 13 home games in a row dating back to May 15, 2014.  It's matches the 2004 team for the longest home win streak in DBU's NCAA Division I history.
 
UP NEXT FOR THE PATRIOTS
DBU concludes a three-game series with Illinois State on Sunday.  First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 pm.