NORMAL, Ill. (Interstat) — Powered by a relentless offensive attack and a dominant starting pitching performance, the Illinois State Redbirds defeated the Belmont Bruins 10-4 in Missouri Valley Conference baseball action Saturday evening at Duffy Bass Field.

The Redbirds, winning their second straight in the series, improved to 15-7 overall and 2-0 in league play. The Bruins fell to 8-15 and 0-2.

Illinois State starter Michael Addari set the tone, silencing the Bruins over five strong innings to earn the win. The right-hander allowed five hits and struck out seven, walking none and keeping Belmont off the scoreboard. His outing followed a similarly impressive performance the previous week against Western Illinois, where he threw five no-hit innings.

Belmont scratched out an unearned run in the second inning without a hit. Brady Holbrook singled, stole second, and advanced to third on a single by Nate Webb. Holbrook then scored on a passed ball while Webb was stealing second, giving the Bruins a brief 1-0 lead.

The Redbirds responded immediately and decisively in the bottom of the frame against Belmont starter McKale Stevenson. After a leadoff single by Josh Outlaw, right fielder Payton McHarg launched a two-run homer to left field, putting Illinois State ahead for good. The Redbirds continued to rally, adding two more runs on a sacrifice bunt by Camden Karczewski and an RBI double by Brayden Bakes to take a 4-1 lead.

Illinois State extended its advantage in the third. McHarg doubled and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Brayden Zilis, making it 5-1. The game was broken open in the sixth inning when the Redbirds sent nine batters to the plate and scored five runs. The key blow was a two-run double by Luke Stulga that plated two unearned runs, part of a four-RBI afternoon for Bakes and a two-RBI, two-hit performance for Stulga. Ryan Bakes added an RBI single later in the inning to cap the scoring burst and push the lead to 10-1.

Belmont showed late life against the Illinois State bullpen. In the seventh, third baseman Landon Godsey hit a two-run, opposite-field home run to left-center after an error extended the inning. The Bruins added a final run in the eighth on a bases-loaded walk by Charlie Davis.

Godsey led the Bruins with two hits, including his home run, and two RBIs. Holbrook collected three of Belmont’s nine hits. Stevenson took the loss for Belmont, lasting 4 2/3 innings and allowing five earned runs on five hits and four walks.

Following Addari, Nolan Girard, Jackson Natanek and Trenton Roehler combined for four innings of relief for Illinois State. Jonathon Van Ness and Aubrey Moraitakis provided scoreless relief for Belmont.

The most important sequence of the game was Illinois State’s immediate and powerful rebuttal in the bottom of the second inning. After Belmont had taken an early lead on a miscue, McHarg’s two-run homer not only erased the deficit but ignited a four-run rally that seized all momentum. This offensive eruption, supported by Addari’s shutdown pitching, established a lead the Redbirds would never relinquish and set the stage for the decisive five-run sixth inning.

The teams conclude their three-game series Sunday afternoon.