TERRE HAUTE, IN ? Northern Iowa scored three runs in two different innings and made it stand up to hand the Indiana State Sycamores their second straight home loss, a 6-3 setback at Sycamore Field on Sunday.
Indiana State dropped to 8-17 overall with the loss and 4-5 in the Missouri Valley Conference with the loss. The Sycamores will take a week off of conference play, hosting Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville at 6 p.m. Tuesday and then visiting Eastern Illinois University on Wednesday before going to the University of Arizona for three games next weekend.
Northern Iowa's Dane Embury put the Panthers in front for good in the second inning with a three-run blast over the left field fence with two outs.
The Sycamores did get two of those runs back in the fifth. Nick C iolli led off with a single and advanced as David Brumagin reached after being hit by a pitch. Brian Jett laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt that advanced both runners before Sean Osborne ripped a single to center that scored a pair of Sycamore runs.
The Panthers padded their lead by three in the seventh on three hits, a walk and a hit batter.
Indiana State threatened in the bottom half of the seventh as Osborne banged out his second the game, legging out a triple on a hit that bounced off the center field fence. However, Osborne was left stranded and the Sycamores did not threaten after that.
Micah Spencer started for Indiana State and worked seventh innings before giving way to Brian Oliver to start the eighth. Spencer (2-3) gave up six runs on five hits while striking out three and walking two. Oliver shut down the Panther offense on two hits while striking out two and walking none.
Taylor Sinclair (3-2) also worked seven innings for the Panthers, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out one and walking two. Zach Zirbel took over in the eighth but was relieved with two outs by Joe Gonzalez who finished the game to earn his third save of the season.
Osborne had a triple and a single for the Sycamores while Ciolli ended up with a pair of singles, and Ryan Strausborger, Brady Shoemaker, Brian Oliver and David Brumagin had a single each.
