TERRE HAUTE, Ind. ? The Indiana State baseball team has shown an ability to put gaudy numbers on the scoreboard this season, but on Wednesday the squad found a way to take it to a new level. The Sycamores (12-7) pounded out a season-high 24 hits which resulted in a season-high 23 runs scored against in-state foe Butler (1-14) as ISU picked up a 23-3 victory over the Bulldogs at Sycamore Field.
Freshman Cordell Greene (1-1) picked up the win for ISU, as he allowed just three earned runs on seven hits while striking out three batters in six full innings of work. Brandon Dorsett, Matt Bayes, Brendon Smith and Scott Harlan combined to throw the final three innings of scoreless baseball for the Sycamores. Butler starter David Dennemann (0-1) suffered the loss, as he lasted just one third of an inning and gave up nine earned runs on seven hits and two walks.
The Sycamores blew the game wide open from the start, as they scored an astounding 12 runs in the bottom of the first inning on 10 hits. Brady Shoemaker, Tyler Graham, and Luke Fieser all picked up RBI singles to start the inning before Pascual Del Real struck the big blow with a three-run triple to make the score 6-0 at the time. Joe Meggs then picked up a RBI on a single up the middle that scored Del Real from third and Shoemaker later tacked on two more RBI with another single to make the score 11-0. Fieser capped off the hitting barrage with a RBI single to left field with two outs in the inning.
ISU tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the second inning when Del Real scored on a passed ball and Meggs scored on a sacrifice fly by Nick Ciolli. In the bottom of the third, the Sycamores extended the lead to 15-0 on a RBI single by Meggs. The onslaught continued in the bottom of the fourth inning, as four more runs crossed the plate to make the score 19-0 in favor of ISU. Shoemaker launched a three-run home run to center field to bring in the first three runs of the frame and Graham later scored as Brian Jett hit into a double play.
Butler finally got to Greene in the top of the fifth inning, as they put together three hits that resulted in three runs to make the score 19-3. Luke Duncan picked up a RBI on a single to center field to plate the first run of the game for Butler and Steve Darragh later scored on a wild pitch for the second run. Rich Betsch capped off the inning for the Bulldogs with a RBI single up the middle that scored Duncan.
Two more runs were scored by the Sycamores in the bottom of the fifth inning to make the score 21-3. Meggs scored on a RBI ground out by Cole Standridge and Kyle Burnam scored on a double to left field by Ben Caple to end the threat. After a couple of scoreless innings, Jett put the exclamation point on the win for the Sycamores in the bottom of the eighth inning as he blasted his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot over the right field wall, to bring the score to its final at 23-3.
Shoemaker finished the game 3-for-4 with three runs scored and six RBI, while Fieser extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a 4-for-4 performance, two runs scored and two RBI. Meggs and Ryan Strausborger also chipped in three hits apiece in the victory for the Sycamores.
The Sycamores return to action on Friday, when they open Missouri Valley Conference play against the Creighton Bluejays at Sycamore Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. EST in the first of three games over the weekend.
