Illinois State handles Wichita State with five-run sixth inning

On Thursday, Wichita State baseball coach Todd Butler talked optimistically about the Shockers and his belief that the worst of a frustrating season had passed. He liked the way his players stuck together, played hard and persevered through injuries.

On Friday, the Shockers took a step back during a 7-2 loss to Illinois State at Eck Stadium. Butler aired his grievances during a longer-than-usual post-game talk in right field while the stadium emptied of all but the loyal families and girlfriends.

“I don’t think we had any urgency,” Butler said. “I don’t know how you can feel good at 13-19. I don’t feel good. I don’t know how you can underestimate an opponent.”

The Shockers (13-20, 5-2 Missouri Valley Conference) let Redbirds starter Will Headean get comfortable early in the game and failed to string together enough good at-bats to take advantage of leadoff batters on base in the second, fourth and fifth innings. WSU pitchers combined to walk 10 batters, five by freshman starter Jeb Bargfeldt, and the bullpen couldn’t keep the game close after he exited down 2-0 in the sixth.

Illinois State (15-15, 2-5) won on the road for the third time in 12 games. Headean scattered eight hits and struck out five over eight innings and center fielder Sean Beesley drove in three runs.

In all, Butler didn’t see a team that sustained the good work it did last weekend in winning a series against Indiana State and Tuesday’s 6-4 loss at Texas. WSU lost an MVC series opener for the first time this season and allowed No. 24 Missouri State to move into a tie atop the MVC, with No. 16 Dallas Baptist lurking percentage points behind. A home loss is crucial for the Shockers, who play three MVC series at home and four on the road.

So there’s the urgency of the situation, one that Butler didn’t see his team grasp.

“He’s disappointed in us that we don’t come out to play every day with passion,” third baseman Jordan Farris said. “He wants us to get together, fight, compete. He didn’t see that effort from us.”

In the second, Mikel Mucha was thrown out at second on a hit-and-run. In the fourth, a double play erased Sam Hilliard. Farris singled in the fifth and Bob Arens bunted him to second to give WSU its best scoring threat since the first inning. Trey Vickers lofted a fly ball to shallow center and Beesley froze, unsure of where the ball was headed.

“I couldn’t tell if hit or well or not,” Beesley said. “Me freezing on it, I think it threw (Farris) off. It worked out well for me.”

Farris read Beesley’s hesitation as a sign the ball would drop safely. He heard teammates telling him the same thing. Down 1-0, he saw the chance to tie the game if he broke quickly from second base. Then Beesley located the ball and made a sliding catch. Farris hustled back to second. Beesley’s throw beat him for an inning-ending double play.

“I wanted to score,” Farris said. “I thought it was down. I took off. Nice play on his part.”

Bargfeldt struggled with his command early in the game before he got his off-speed pitches working. He ended the third inning with two strikeouts, struck out two more in the fourth and cruised through the fifth with three groundball outs.

“Finding the change-up helped me out a lot,” Bargfeldt said. “That’s a pitch that always been a go-to for me. It was definitely working in those innings tonight.”

Things went bad quickly in the sixth and the Redbirds loaded the bases with a single, a bunt single and walk. After Bargfeldt struck out cleanup hitter Mason Snyder, he walked in a run to give Illinois State a 2-0 lead.

“I end up walking in a run and that’s unacceptable,” Bargfeldt said.

Reliever John Hayes struck out a batter before giving up two-run singles by Sean Beesley and Jean Ramirez, both with two outs, and Illinois State led 6-0.

Hilliard’s two-run homer, staying a few feet inside the foul pole in left, cut Illinois State’s lead to 6-2 in the sixth. Headean ended the rally by picking off Gunnar Troutwine, who walked, at first. Headean screamed into his glove as he walked off the mound.

The Redbirds took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Jared Hendren, after holding off on a close pitch with the count full, blasted a double to left-center. Bargfeldt tried to pick him off second and the throw sailed into center field, allowing Hendren to go to third base. He scored on a groundout by Sean Beesley.

Worth noting — The crowd observed a moment of silence before the game to honor seven people killed in a plane crash Tuesday in Bloomington, Ill. Illinois State administrator Aaron Leetch and assistant men’s basketball coach Torrey Ward and five Redbirds boosters were returning from the Final Four … WSU’s Ryan Tinkham singled in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to 12 games … WSU outfielder Zach Reding injured his throwing elbow earlier this week in practice and Butler said the injury will likely keep him from playing defense the rest of the season. Reding may be able to hit. He has an MRI scheduled for next week.

This story was originally published April 10, 2015 at 11:00 PM with the headline "Illinois State handles Wichita State with five-run sixth inning."