Blaine Kinsey

GoSycamores.com

INDIANAPOLIS—The Indiana State softball team controlled the early part of the game but gave up seven unearned runs and two home runs as the Sycamores fell on the road to in-state rival Butler 8-4.

The Sycamores struck first in the top of the third inning as freshman short stop Shelby Wilson singled through the left side and freshman center fielder Alex Baumgart singled to shortstop and both runners advanced on throwing errors. Junior second baseman Stephanie Robinson sacrificed into a ground out to score Wilson and advance Baumgart to third. The very next batter, junior catcher Alyssa Marcum, singled to right field to score Baumgart and give the Sycamores a 2-0 lead.

The Bulldogs responded in the bottom of the third inning with a run of their own to cut the Sycamores lead to 2-1 after three complete innings of play.

In the top of the fifth inning the Sycamores added another run when Wilson scored as Marcum was caught in a run down to give the Sycamores a 3-1 advantage over the Bulldogs.

However, the Bulldogs had an answer and scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take an 7-3 lead over the Sycamores. With one out the Bulldogs hit a pop up in foul territory which dropped between two Sycamore players. The Bulldogs made the Sycamores pay as on the next pitch the Bulldogs Lauren McNulty belted a three run home run over the center field wall, followed by three more Bulldogs runs to give the Bulldogs an 8-3 lead.

The Sycamores cut the Bulldogs lead to 8-4 in the top of the sixth inning senior Stephanie Jonson singled to right center to score Alyssa Doyle and make in an 7-4 Butler lead.

The Bulldogs had an answer though in the bottom half of the inning as McNulty hit her second home run of the day, this time a solo, to make it 8-4. The Sycamores could not find an answer in the top of the seventh inning and eventually fell to the Bulldogs by a final score of 8-4.

Marcum went 2-4 for the Sycamores with an RBI while Wilson finished the game 1-2 with two runs scored and a base on balls.

The Sycamores will return to action Saturday when they will host their first Missouri Valley Conference home series of the 2011 season against Missouri State. The series will begin with a double header on Saturday at noon at Price Field.