TERRE HAUTE, Ind. ? Indiana State opened its off weekend from Missouri Valley Conference play on Friday night with a non-conference match up against in-state foe Oakland City. The Sycamores (25-13) pounded out 19 hits, including four home runs, on way to a 16-5 victory over the Mighty Oaks (10-21) at Sycamore Field. With the win, ISU extended its winning streak to five games and improved its record to 5-0 against teams from the Hoosier State this season.
ISU starter Eric Valdez (4-2) was strong on the mound, as he allowed just two runs on five hits while striking out five batters in 5.1 innings of work to pick up his second straight win. OCU starter Gordon VanBibber (2-6) suffered the loss, after allowing seven earned runs on seven hits in 3.1 innings on the mound.
The Sycamores took an early 1-0 lead after a RBI single by Koby Kraemer in the bottom of the second inning. ISU then extended its lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the third inning thanks to a two-run home run off the bat of Brady Shoemaker to right center field, his team-leading eighth of the season and second in two games.
That lead would grow to 6-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning, thanks to four hits by the Sycamores. Joe Meggs singled to lead off the inning, stole second and then advanced to third base on a Pascual Del Real groundout. Meggs then came around to score on a wild pitch for the first run of the inning as Kraemer walked on ball four. Ryan Strausborger then singled through the left side ahead of Tyler Graham, who drove in both ISU base runners with a double to left center field. Graham kept the inning alive by stealing third before Shoemaker flied out to right field, which allowed Graham to score the final run of the frame.
ISU picked up three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, courtesy of a RBI double by Kraemer and a two-run single by Strausborger, to make the score 9-0. The Sycamores then put a cap on the scoring in the bottom of the sixth inning by scoring six runs on five hits.
Cole Standridge pinch hit for Nick Ciolli to lead off the inning and homered to left field for his first longball of the season. Luke Fieser followed with a home run of his own to left field, his second of the season, and extended his hitting streak to 13 games. Meggs then followed with a double down the left field line and advanced to third on a passed ball. Del Real added a bloop single to right field to pick up a RBI and Kraemer reached on a fielder's choice as Del Real advanced to second.
Kyle Burnam was up next and moved Kraemer to second and Del Real to third on a ground out for the second out of the inning. Ben Caple then pinch hit for Graham and homered to left field, his first of the season and third of the inning for ISU, to pick up three RBI and put a cap on the explosive inning.
Oakland City would not go away though, as the Mighty Oaks pushed two runs across the plate in the top of the seventh inning on three hits to make the score 16-2. After a scoreless eighth inning by ISU reliever Brendon Smith, the Oaks tacked on three runs in the top of the ninth inning to bring the score to its final at 16-5.
Shoemaker and Caple each finished the game with three RBI to pace the Sycamore offense. The bottom of the order was also very productive, with Meggs going 3-for-4 with three runs scored, Del Real going 4-for-5 with two runs scored and Kraemer finishing 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two driven in.
The Sycamores return to action on Saturday, when they travel to Evansville, Ind., to take on Southern Indiana at historic Bosse Field. First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST, with Jake Petricka (5-1, 3.80 ERA) taking the mound for ISU.
