MILLINGTON, Tenn. ? The potent Indiana State lineup was baffled by the Memphis pitching staff on a chilly day at USA Stadium, as the Sycamores (10-7) collected just one run on four hits while the Tigers (8-7) scored 20 runs on 19 hits to pick up a 20-1 victory on Saturday in the second game of the weekend series.
Indiana State starter Joe Rodriguez (1-1) suffered the loss for the Sycamores after giving up 10 runs, nine of which were earned, on 11 hits in 3.1 innings pitched. Memphis starter Ryan Fraser (2-2) picked up the win for the Tigers, after allowing just one run on three hits while striking out four ISU batters in six innings of work.
The Tigers took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a two-out rally. Drew Martinez led off the game with a line drive base hit to left field, but Rodriguez forced Chad Zurcher and Adam McClain to fly out to give Memphis two outs. However, Trey Wiedman tripled deep off the center field wall to plate Martinez for the first run of the game and he later scored on a base hit to right field by Brett Bowen to give the Tigers a two-run advantage.
Memphis added another two-out run in the bottom of the second inning on a RBI single by Zurcher that scored Tyler Huelsing to make the score 3-0. The Tigers then tacked on their fourth two-out run of the game in the bottom of the third inning to make the score 4-0. With Wiedman on first and two down, Shawn Ablett popped up to ISU second baseman Brian Ramirez but he dropped the pop up which allowed Wiedman to hustle around the bases and score the fourth run of the game.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Memphis blew the game open with eight runs on six hits and one Sycamores error to make the score 12-0 after four innings of play. A two-run double by designated hitter Cole Shelton and a grand slam home run over the scoreboard in left field by Jacob Wilson highlighted the eight-run inning for the Tigers.
The Sycamores ruined the shut out in the top of the fifth inning and pushed across their first run of the day. Ryan Strausborger laced a triple to the left field wall with one out and then scored on a Kyle Burnam RBI ground out to make the score 12-1. However, in the bottom of the seventh inning the Tigers would push eight more runs across the plate on four hits to widen their lead to 20-1.
Brian Jett, Luke Fieser, Strausborger and Tony Colucci each had a hit on the day for the Sycamores, while Burnam picked up the lone RBI for ISU. Bowen and Wilson each had four RBI to pace the Tigers offense, while Wiedman finished 4-for-4 with four runs scored and three RBI in with win for Memphis.
Indiana State and Memphis wrap up the three-game weekend set on Sunday at 2 p.m. EST at USA Stadium. The Sycamores will send Jake Petricka (1-1, 2.95 ERA) to the mound against Memphis starter Brach Davis (1-1, 4.85 ERA) looking to avoid the series sweep at the hands of the Tigers.
