TERRE HAUTE, Ind. ? After picking up a game on league leading Creighton on Friday night and had a chance to close ground even more on Saturday with a win in the second game of its weekend series with Evansville. Thanks to a strong pitching performance and another strong day at the plate, the Sycamores (32-24, 14-4 MVC) picked up an 11-2 victory over the Purple Aces (25-25, 7-13 MVC) at Sycamore Field.
With the win, the Sycamores increased their winning streak to four games in a row and secured their fifth consecutive series win in Missouri Valley Conference play.
ISU starter Jake Petricka (7-1) picked up his seventh win of the season, after allowing just two earned runs on five hits while striking out five in seven inning of work. Michael Manus and Scott Harlan each pitched a scoreless inning in relief to close out the win for the Sycamores. UE starter Wade Kapteyn (2-8) suffered the loss, after giving up four earned runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings on the mound.
Neither team scored in the first two innings and it was Evansville who jumped out on top in the third inning with a couple runs to take a 2-0 lead. Andy Smith doubled to right field to score Trentt Copeland for the first run of the game and he later scored on a RBI single through the right side by Greg Wallace.
The Purple Aces held onto that lead until the bottom of the fifth inning, when the Sycamores tied the game at 2-2. With one out in the inning, Bronco Lafrenz walked and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Brian Jett then flied out to left field in front of Ben Ferrell, who doubled to right field to pick up a RBI and score Lafrenz for the first run of the game. Ryan Strausborger then singled which allowed Ferrell advanced to third and eventually scored on a throwing error by Smith.
Indiana State then broke the game open with a five-spot in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 7-2 lead. With one out, Nick Ciolli and Luke Fieser collected back to back singles off Kapteyn, which knocked him out of the game. J.R. Carbonell came in to face Tyler Graham, who singled through the left side to load the bases for Lafrenz. Lafrenz took the first pitch from Carbonell and ripped a double d to left center to clear the bases and pick up three RBI.
Jett then singled up the middle to score Lafrenz from second base for the fourth run of the frame. Ferrell was up next and singled and advanced to second on a fielding error by UE right fielder Nate Smith as Jett advanced to third. Strausborger followed and reached on a fielder's choice as Jett scored an unearned run to close out the inning offensively.
The offense kept coming for the Sycamores, who added three more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Brady Shoemaker homered off the scoreboard in right field to lead off the inning, his team-leading 12th of the season, to make the score 8-2. Later in the inning, Lafrenz picked up his fourth RBI of the game with a single down the left field line and picked up a RBI with a sacrifice fly to left field to make the score 10-2.
ISU added one more run in the bottom of the eighth inning courtesy of a sacrifice fly to left field off the bat of Ciolli to close out the scoring and send the game to its final at 11-2. Lafrenz finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBI, while Shoemaker and Ciolli each chipped in three hits and a RBI. In addition, with his hit in the sixth inning Fieser extended his season-long hitting streak to 21 games.
The Sycamores will go for their fourth series sweep in Valley play on Sunday in the series finale with Purple Aces. Left-hander Joe Rodriguez (6-1) will take the mound for the Sycamores against Evansville's Keegan Dennis (2-3) at 1 p.m. at Sycamore Field. Sunday will also be Senior Day, with 11 ISU student-athletes being honored prior to the game.
