COLUMBIA, Mo. ? Indiana State was looking to get out its brief
mid-week series at Missouri with a win on Wednesday. However, the Sycamores (20-13) struggled to
score runs for the second straight game against the Tigers (19-19) and dropped
a 12-2 decision in the finale of the two-game set at Taylor Stadium.
ISU
starter Cordell Greene (2-2) suffered the loss for the Sycamores, after
allowing seven earned runs on seven hits while walking five and striking out
three in 3.1 innings on the mound. Matt
Bayes was solid in relief though for ISU, as he gave up just two hits in 2.2
innings of scoreless work.
The
Tigers threatened in the bottom of the second inning, but Greene got himself
out of a jam to keep the game scoreless.
With runners on second and third, Greene struck out Steve Gray before
walking Ryan Ampleman to load the bases.
However, he battled back and forced Mike Liberto to fly out to right
field and get out of the inning un-scathed.
Mizzou did
manage to push a run across the plate in the bottom of the third inning though,
as Austin Holt scored from third base on a sacrifice fly to center field off
the bat of Aaron Senne to make the score 1-0.
The Tigers then picked up six runs on seven hits in the bottom of the
fourth inning to extend their lead to 7-0 over the Sycamores after four innings
of play.
The runs
kept coming for the Tigers in the bottom of the fifth inning, as two more runs
crossed the plate on three hits and a throwing error to widen the lead to 9-0
after five
innings of play. The Sycamores found a
way to shut down the Mizzou offense over the next two innings, thanks to some
solid pitching from the left-hander Bayes.
Indiana State finally got on the board in the top
of the eighth inning with two-out rally to make the score 9-2. After two quick outs to start the inning,
Luke Fieser lined a single into left field and then advanced to second base on
a wild pitch. Tyler Graham came up next
and lined a double off the wall in left field to bring in Fieser for the first
run of the inning. Graham then came
around to score when Koby Kraemer reached base when Mizzou right fielder Ryan
Lollis dropped a ball in the sun
Mizzou
added three more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to extend the lead to
12-2 headed into the final inning of play.
The Sycamores could not push any more runs across the plate in the top
of the ninth and they dropped the second game of the series 12-2.
Fieser
and Brian Ramirez each tallied two hits on the day for the Sycamores, while
Graham finished 1-for-3 with a run scored and ISU's lone RBI. The Sycamores return to action on Friday,
when the open a three-game weekend series at home against Southern Illinois.
First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. EST at Sycamore Field.
