PEORIA, IL ? The Indiana State baseball team held a 7-3 lead heading into the final two innings of play but could not hold that lead as Bradley came back, scoring twice in the bottom of the ninth to edge Indiana State 8-7 Friday.
The Sycamores fall to 5-14 overall and 1-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference with the loss. Bradley improved to 10-10 overall and 3-1 in the MVC. The two teams will battle again at 3 p.m. (ET) Saturday.
Indiana State got off to a good start by scoring a run on two hits in the top of the first. Chris Schmidt singled with one out and advanced around to third on a wild pitch and a passed ball. Nick Ciolli drove Schmidt in with a double down the left field line but was left stranded on base.
Bradley came back with a run in their half of the first and the score remained tied at one until the top of the fifth. The Sycamores retook the lead with a run on a hit and an error. Brian Jett opened with a double to right field and came around to score when Pascual Del Real reached on a Bradley error.
Indiana State seemed to have taken control after scoring four times on five hits in the top of the sixth. Ciolli continued his hot hitting by leading off the inning with a triple, putting ISU up 3-1 as Zane Chavez singled to right.
Brian Oliver and Jett hit back-to-back singles that brought Chavez in. Oliver and Jett each advanced on a double steal and both scored on a double to left by Ryan Strausborger.
The Braves started to come back in the bottom half of the sixth, scoring twice on a pair of walks, a balk and a single to cut the ISU lead to 6-3. Bradley was able to take advantage of there Sycamore errors in the eighth to tie the game at six-all, scoring three runs on four hits and two ISU errors.
The Sycamores padded their lead by one in the top of the ninth as Ciolli was hit by a pitch and went to second on a Brady Shoemaker sacrifice grounder. Chavez belted a single to right that brought Ciolli around to score, giving ISU a 7-6 lead.
Indiana State was not able to hold onto that advantage in the bottom of the ninth. Bradley loaded the bases with one out and scored the tying run on a wild pitch. The Braves Firtzgerald then singled down the right field line to score the winning run.
Michael Manus worked the first six innings for the Sycamores, giving up just three runs on two hits while striking out seven and walking four. Brendon Smith was charged with two runs in an inning a third of work. Josh Varno and Chad Dawson each worked in the eighth with Micah Spencer (1-2) taking over in the night and picking up the loss.
Scahill worked the first seven innings for Bradley with Goebel going in the eighth and Jensen in the ninth and getting the win.
Ciolli had a triple and a double in four at-bats for the Sycamores while Jett had a double and a single, Chavez two singles, Strausborger a double, and Schmidt and Oliver had a single each.
