TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Indiana State Sycamores earned an 8-2 victory over the SIUE Cougars on Tuesday evening in the final home contest at Bob Warn Field at Sycamore Stadium. ISU improves to 25-23 on the season, while the Cougars fall to 18-27.
After three and a half scoreless frames, ISU broke up the stalemate with five runs in the bottom of the fourth. Andy Young led off, getting hit by a pitch. Three-straight walks loaded the bases and scored the first run of the game. Connor McClain delivered a two-run single through the right side to bring home Manny Estevez and Brian Romero. With runners on the corners, Landon Curry laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Hunter Owen. Andy DeJesus followed by drilling a single to center field to bring home McClain and put the Sycamores up 5-0 after four innings.
The Sycamores kept scoring in the fifth inning. Young led off with a double and came around to score on a double from Owen. Kaden Moore added the big hit of the inning, belting his fourth home run of the season to left field and put the Sycamores up 8-0.
SIUE battled back for a pair of solo runs in the eighth and ninth innings. In the eighth, a single and a hit-by-pitch put runners on first and second. Alec Saikal singled to bring home Nick Lombardo and cut the lead to 8-1, ISU.
In the ninth, a lead-off single and a balk put a runner in scoring position when Justin Fagan doubled to left to bring in Keaton Wright and bring the score to 8-2 in favor of ISU.
On the mound, ISU used four pitchers, three of which were seniors competing in their last contest at Bob Warn Field at Sycamore Stadium. Michael Eberle (2-2) started his first game of the season, after appearing in 18 prior to the Tuesday's game. Eberle worked in 5.0 shut-out innings allowing two hits and walking one. Trent Lunsford worked 3.0 innings in relief, allowing a run (earned) while walking two and striking out four. Senior J. R. Patterson started the ninth, recording an out before giving way to fellow senior Josh Negele. Negele picked up a strike out to end the contest.
At the plate, McClain finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Owen and Moore each finished with a hit and two RBI, while Curry and DeJesus finished with a hit and one RBI. Young went 1-for-1 with two runs scored.
Indiana State returns to action on Thursday, May 14th when they travel to Bloomington, Ill. to take on the Illinois State Redbirds in the final Missouri Valley Conference Series of the season.
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.
