MUNCIE, IN ? For the second straight game, the Indiana State Sycamores fell victim to a late inning rally by the opposing team as the Indiana State was defeated 14-13 on a walk-off home run by Ball State in the bottom of the tenth inning.
Ryan Chenoweth had a walk-off home run to centerfield in the bottom of the tenth to lift the Ball State Cardinals to the victory over the Sycamores. Indiana State lost 7-6 at Arizona on Sunday on a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth.
The Sycamores fall to 10-21 on the season and will travel to the University of Evansville on Friday to begin a three-game series with the Purple Aces. Ball State improved to 20-11 on the season and will be at Indiana on Wednesday.
Dean Anna broke up a scoreless ball game in the bottom of the third, belting a solo home run to right field for the Cardinals. Ball State added one more in the fifth as Sycamore starter David Gurbach hit three batters and allowed a single. Gurbach was replaced by Clay Kovac who was able to retire the side without further damage.
Indiana State came back to tie the game in the top of the seventh. Pascual Del Real led off with a single and went all the way to third on a David Brumagin single to right. Del Real scored as Ball State's Matt Mueller tried to pick off Brumagin at first but threw the ball away.
Sean Osborne followed with a single to score Brumagin and went to second as Gary King reached on a Ball State error. Ryan Strausborger reached on a bunt single to load the bases. Chris Schmidt reached on a fielder's choice that got King at second but allowed Osborne to score.
Brady Shoemaker came up and blasted a three-run home run over the right centerfield fence with Nick Ciolli following that with a solo shot of h is own over the left field fence. By the end of the inning, ISU had taken a 9-4 lead.
Back came Ball State, scoring five times in their half of the seventh. Three of those runs came on Anna's second home run of the game.
Indiana State went back on top in the eighth with four runs crossing the plate. Osborne hit a one-out single and advanced to second on a Cardinal throwing error. Cole Standridge came on to run for Osborne but he did not stay on the base long, scoring on a King single through the left side of the infield. Strausborger followed with a single and then Schmidt belted a three-run homer to left field, giving ISU a 13-9 advantage.
Ball State answered with a pair of two-run home runs. The first came from Joe Mack over the left field fence and the second came from Anna, who blasted his third home run of the day, this one over the right field fence.
Neither team could score in the ninth with the Sycamores going down in order in the top of the 10th, setting up Chenoweth's game winning home run.
Brady Shoemaker had a home run, a double and 4 RBIs to pace the Sycamores while Chris Schmidt also had 4 RBIs with a home run and a single. Nick Ciolli had two RBIs with a home run and a single while Gary King, Ryan Strausborger and Sean Osborne had two singles each, and David Brumagin, Pascual Del Real and Brian Jett each had a single.
Ball State had five home runs in the game, three by Dean Anna and one each by Joe Mack and Ryan Chenoweth
David Gurbach started for the Sycamores and went four innings. Clay Kovac took over in the fifth but did not get an out with Nathan Inman coming on to pitch 2 1/3 innings. Brian Oliver pitched one inning and Chad Dawson went the final 1 2/3 in being charged with the loss.
