NORMAL - There hasn't been much call for brooms around Redbird Field lately except to clean out the dugouts after games.

And after losing three straight Missouri Valley Conference games to Southern Illinois last weekend, the Illinois State baseball team hardly appeared equipped to do any sweeping of its own.

Yet a seven-run seventh inning applied an exclamation point to a startling recovery as the Redbirds completed their first MVC sweep since 2004 with an 11-7 victory over Missouri State on Sunday.

"We played well all weekend. I'm really happy for our kids," ISU coach Jim Brownlee said. "Last weekend we tried to do too much at Southern. Our pitching was good this weekend and gave us a chance. We swung it well all three days, and made all the plays."

The Redbirds (12-13, 3-3 in the MVC) were carried by the top four hitters in their lineup.

Leadoff man Collin Salzenstein had three hits and scored three runs, Matt Bolt had two hits and three RBI, Ryan Anetsberger was 4-for-4 and Kevin Dubler stroked two hits and drove in a pair.

"I've been struggling a little bit lately, but I felt real good today," said Salzenstein, who entered the game with a .219 average. "This weekend was huge for us to bounce back. We all knew we didn't play our best baseball last weekend. We know what we're capable of, and it showed this weekend."

Salzenstein doubled and scored in the first inning. He then singled in the second inning and came home along with Kyle Cherney on a two-out, two-run single from Bolt for a 3-2 Redbird lead.

"Collin got a big hit (Saturday) and got the monkey off his back," Brownlee said. "He was really good today and set the table. When that happens, we can be a really good offensive team."

Ben Carlson's two-run double was the key hit in a three-run Missouri State fifth inning.

Dubler doubled home Anetsberger in the fifth. The Bears (15-12, 2-4) got that run back in the top of the sixth on a Kyle Paul home run.

The first five ISU batters reached in the seventh against Missouri State reliever Buddy Baumann (0-3).

Anetsberger walked, Dubler singled and Jesse Griswold's double chased home Anetsberger. After a walk to Kyle O'Brien, Cherney singled off the glove of second baseman Matt Lawson as Dubler and Griswold scored.

Pat Doyle relieved Baumann and uncorked a wild pitch to score O'Brien. Kevin Konsler walked before Salzenstein's triple drove home Cherney and Konsler. Salzenstein scored the seventh run of the rally on a sacrifice fly from Bolt.

"It's a pretty good feeling," Anetsberger said. "After Tuesday (a 15-3 loss to Iowa) I think a lot of guys were down. It's good we got back on track. We're starting to swing the bats better."

Mike Hlavacek allowed five runs over the first five innings for ISU. Reliever Tyler Cox (2-0) worked the final four innings to notch the victory.

"This puts us back in the (MVC) hunt. I think this will get us over the hump, but we have to do it every weekend," said Brownlee. "We had lost to them 10 times in a row (before Saturday). It was so long ago they were Southwest Missouri."