TERRE HAUTE, IN ?. The Indiana State Sycamores rallied with four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to avoid the sweep at the hands of the seventh ranked Wichita State Shockers Sunday, posting a thrilling 8-7 victory before 189 fans at Sycamore Field.
Indiana State had given up three runs in the top of the ninth as the Shockers broke a 4-all tie and took what looked like a commanding 7-4 lead into the bottom of the ninth.
“We have been there before,” Lindsay Meggs, Indiana State baseball coach said. “Seven times this season we have lost games but today the team knew that they could come back. This is a real confidence boost for a team that has had a tough season so far.”
Brady Shoemaker led off the ninth and reached first after being hit by a pitch. After Brian Oliver flied out, Nick Ciolli hit into a fielder's choice with Shockers pitcher Logan Hoch trying to get Shoemaker out at second. The throw was off the mark and the Sycamores were able to continue their rally.
After Cole Standridge walked, Pascual Del Real hit a single down the left field line that brought Ciolli and Shoemaker home. Sean Osborne followed with a single up the middle to score Standridge with the tying run. With the bases still loaded and just one out, Wichita State reliever Andy Womack threw a wild pitch that bounced all the way back to the back stop and allowed Del Real to score the winning run from third base.
For the third time in the series, the Sycamores took the early lead, scoring twice in the bottom of the second. ISU had a 1-0 lead in Friday night's game and a 2-0 lead on Saturday but lost both games.
Nick Ciolli led off the inning with a single through the left side, advancing to second on Ben Caple's sacrifice bunt. Ciolli scored on a Pascual Del Real double to right center with Sean Osborne also singling through the left side to score Del Real. Walks to Ryan Strausborger and Chris Schmidt loaded the bases with two outs but the Sycamores could not push another run across the plate.
As they have done in the last two games, Wichita State came back to take the lead. The Shockers scored three times in the top of the fourth on three doubles and a single.
Indiana State came back to tie the game up in the bottom of the fifth. Chris Schmidt led off with a single and moved to second as Brady Shoemaker walked. After Brian Oliver flied out to right, Nick Ciolli hit a ground ball that was played by the Shockers first baseman, who tried to get Shoemaker out at second but the ball went into left field. Schmidt came around to score on the play, tying the game at 3-all.
Wichita State pushed over one in the sixth but Indiana State fought back with one of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Sean Osborne led off with a walk and advanced to second on Ryan Strausborger's sacrifice bunt. David Brumagin grounded out to third with Osborne advancing to third and scoring on a wild pitch to tie the game for the third time in the game.
The Shockers were able to score three times in the top of the ninth, all with two outs, on three walks, an Indiana State error and one base hit,that a double that scored two runs.
Indiana State (13-26 overall and 6-9 in the MVC) will have the week off before hosting Missouri State for another three-game Missouri Valley Conference series next weekend. Wichita State fell to 33-9 overall and 11-4 in the Valley.
The Sycamores were outhit 13-9 but they ISU hits came at the right time. Pascual Deal Real had a double and a single to lead ISU at the plate while Sean Osborne, Nick Ciolli and Chris Schmidt had two singles each and David Brumagin had one single.
David Gurbach (2-0) picked up the win in relief, allowing three runs on four hits in 2.2 innings of work. Micah Spencer started for the Sycamores and held the Shockers to four runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings. Josh Varno worked one inning, allowing just one hit.
