The Illinois State pitching staff shut down the Oregon bats Saturday, as the Ducks fell 3-2 despite a strong outing from Matt Krook in his first game at PK Park since March 22, 2014.
Krook threw seven innings and allowed just two hits and one run on five walks and eight strikeouts, but the true star of the game was Illinois State starting pitcher Steve Heilenbach. Heilenbach kept the Ducks off balance all game, pitching low in the zone and locating his fastball, slider and changeup well.
“We didn’t do enough good things,” Horton said. “Tip your cap to Illinois State. Their pitcher did a heck of a job. Typically we try to break a guy down that’s throwing that well and have his pitch count up when we get into the eighth and ninth, but he was at 80-some pitches.”
“I think we got a little big. Instead of trying to go the other way, some guys were pulling off,” Phil Craig-St. Louis said.
Outfielder Austin Grebeck singled in the Ducks’ first at-bat of the game and scored on a groundout from Jakob Goldfarb. But Oregon didn’t muster another hit until the seventh inning, when Slade Heggen doubled with two outs but was stranded on second.
With the score tied 1-1 in the ninth inning, Oregon manager George Horton elected to leave freshman Kyle Robeniol on the mound instead of going to Cooper Stiles or Stephen Nogosek. Nogosek wanted to go out there, Horton said, but he wouldn’t let him. Robeniol walked two runners, the second intentionally, before Horton called Stiles from the bullpen.
Stiles, entering with runners on first and second, walked the first batter he faced on an off-speed pitch Horton called with a full count to load the bases. Then Redbirds infielder Jared Hendren poked a bloop single into right field and two runs scored, putting Illinois State up 3-1.
Craig-St. Louis, who was struggling at the plate with a .095 batting average, launched a solo home run over the right field fence in the bottom of the ninth to cut the deficit to 3-2. Pinch hitter Tim Susnara drew a two-out walk and freshman Matt Kroon reached safely on an infield single as the first baseman pulled his foot. But freshman Travis Moniot struck out swinging to strand both baserunners and end the game.
Horton said he didn’t like the way his team — the left-handed batters especially — adjusted to the left-handed Heilenbach. The Ducks grounded out to the right side of the infield at least seven times.
Horton was happy with Krook’s effort, though. He stayed in the game longer than Horton wanted him to, throwing 113 pitches. He had a hiccup with a fielding error and throwing error on the same play in the sixth; while fielding a bunt, he bobbled the ball then sailed it over the first baseman Craig-St. Louis’s head and into right field. The runner advanced all the way to third, but Krook battled his way out of the jam with two strikeouts.
“Overall it was a real positive experience,” Horton said of Krook’s outing.
Krook said he felt a lot better than he did in his first start of the season, when he lasted four innings and gave up four runs on four hits and three walks. He was “more relaxed, and less amped-up,” this time around. He lowered his ERA from 4.50 to 2.45.
“I felt pretty good today mentally and physically,” Krook said. “It was awesome to be back here pitching again.”