PEORIA, IL ? The Indiana State baseball team continued their offensive explosion from the night before, routing the Bradley Braves 16-2 in a game that was called after seven innings due to the 10-run rule.
Indiana State exploded for 13 runs in the ninth inning Saturday night as they defeated the Braves 16-2 a day after giving up the lead late on Friday and losing the opener 8-7. The score was the same Sunday but it didn't take the Sycamores a full nine innings.
Matt Shelton posted Indiana State's first complete game of the season as the junior from Loves Park, IL, allowed just two runs on two hits while striking out eight and walking none in seven innings of work.
Indiana State scored four times in the third and added five in the fourth to jump out in front 9-0.
Gary King started the offensive explosion in the third as he was hit by a pitch, advancing to second on a Chris Schmidt sacrifice. Back to back singles by Nick Ciolli and Brady Shoemaker scored King but the big blow of the inning came with two outs off the bat of David Brumagin, who smacked a home run over the left field fence to put ISU up 4-0.
In the fourth, Pascual Del Real and King walked with Schmidt getting ISU's second big hit of the game, a three-run home run over the left field fence, to put the Sycamores up 7-0. Nick Ciolli followed with a walk, stole second and scored on a Brady Shoemaker single to center as ISU led 8-0. Shoemaker came around to score on a Brian Jett single.
After Bradley scored twice in the bottom of the fourth, the Sycamores posted two more runs in the top of the fifth. King reach first after he was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game and went to third on a double by Schmidt. Both runners scored on a double by Shoemaker.
In the sixth, Jett singled with one out, stole second and scored on a Ryan Strausborger double. King followed with a single to center with Strausborger coming around to score to put the Sycamores in front 13-2.
The final three Indiana State runs came across in the top of the seventh. Shoemaker singled with one out and advanced to second as Zane Chavez grounded out. Brumagin followed with a singe to score Shoemaker and Jett came back with a tripel to score Brumagin. Del Real got ISU's final RBI of the game when he singled to left allowing Jett to cross the plate.
Sixteen was the magic number for the Sycamores in the game as Indiana State had 16 runs on 16 hits with 16 RBI.
Shoemaker had a double, three singles and four RBI to pace the Sycamore offense while Schmidt had two doubles, a home run and three RBI. Jett finished with a triple and two singles, Brumagin a home run, single and four RBI, Strausborger had a double, and King, Ciolli and Del Real each had a single.
Indiana state, 7-14 overall and 3-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference, will be back in action on Tuesday as they visit St. Louis University. The Sycamores will also visit Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH, on Wednesday before opening up their home season next Friday when they start a three-game series with the University of Northern Iowa.
