TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Indiana State baseball team split a doubleheader with the Evansville Purple Aces on Saturday afternoon at Bob Warn Field at Sycamore Stadium. ISU won the opener 4-0 before dropping the second half of the twin bill by a 7-3 margin. The Sycamores are now 10-12 overall and 2-3 in the Missouri Valley. Evansville is 11-11, and 2-3 in the Valley.
The Sycamores took the lead in the bottom of the second inning of the first game. Jacob Hayes and Taylor Steen led off with back-to-back walks and were moved to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by Andrew Gutierrez. Hayes scored on a ground out to third and put ISU up 1-0.
ISU added three insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Back-to-back singles by Andy DeJesus and Tyler Friis led off the inning and Andy Young was hit-by-a-pitch to load the bases. Hayes delivered a bases-clearing double down the left field line to push the lead to 4-0.
Jeff Degano (5-2) earned the victory for the Sycamores. Degano went 7.1 innings, scattering three hits, walking five, striking out eight while not allowing a run. The start is Degano's sixth-straight quality start (Minimum 6.0 innings pitched, three or fewer earned runs). Austin Conway picked up his second save, tossing 1.2 innings, striking out one and walking one.
At the plate, Derek Hannahs finished two-for-three. Hayes went one-for-two with a run scored, three RBI and a stolen base. DeJesus, Gutierrez, and Friis each added one hit.
In the nightcap, the Sycamores scored first in the bottom of the second inning. Landon Curry led off with a walk and stole second. Taylor Steen delivered with an RBI single to give the Sycamores a 1-0 lead.
In the third inning, Friis, Hannahs and Hayes hit back-to-back-to back singles to load the bases. Cody Gardner singled through the left side, scoring Friis. The Purple Aces' leftfielder misplayed the ball, allowing Hannahs to score. After three innings, ISU led 3-0.
The Purple Aces got on the board in the top of the fourth inning. With two outs, Kevin Kaczmarski hit a double and was driven home on an Eric McKibban single to cut the lead to 3-1.
Evansville took the lead in the top of the seventh inning. The Aces benefitted from three Sycamore fielding errors to score three unearned runs and lead 4-3 after seven complete innings.
Kaczmarski added three insurance runs for the Purple Aces in the ninth inning. Kaczmarski belted a three-run homer to right center to give Evansville the 7-3 advantage.
Ryan Keaffaber (1-2) got the start for the Sycamores in game two. Keaffaber suffered the loss, while throwing 7.1 innings, allowing five hits, four runs; only one earned, walking two and striking out one. Ethan Larrison pitched in 1.2 innings in relief, allowing four hits, three runs; all earned, walked one and struck out one.
At the dish, Hannahs finished two-for-four with a run scored. Gardner added an RBI single, while Steen also picked up an RBI. Eight starters for the Sycamores had a hit in the contest, with Hannahs being the only multi-hit performance.
ISU returns to action tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. as they wrap-up the series with the Purple Aces at Bob Warn Field.
For the latest information on the Sycamore Baseball team, make sure to visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter.
