Ashley Dickerson
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE Ind. – The Indiana State baseball team dropped game two of its three-game, Missouri Valley Conference series to No. 24 Dallas Baptist, 7-6. The afternoon nail-biter went back-and-forth between the two solid teams as they traded runs. Senior Andy Young headlined the Sycamore offense going 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a RBI.
No. 24 Dallas Baptist jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first innings, but the Sycamores answered as Young doubled to right center and senior Kaden Moore plated Young on a single up the middle, tying things up at 1-1.
The Sycamore offense struck again in the bottom of the third as Young was hit by a pitch, junior Hunter Owen doubled to left field, and then Moore singled again, tallying another RBI. With no outs, sophomore Dane Giesler grounded into a double play, but picked up a RBI, plating Owen to take the 3-1 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, freshman Chris Ayers led off with a single, followed by a sophomore Tyler Friis single. With two runners on, senior Andy DeJesus sacrificed them over with a bunt, as Young followed up with a RBI on a ground out. The Sycamores took the 4-1 advantage over the Patriots.
The Patriots would cut into the Sycamores' lead, scoring one in the fifth and one in the sixth, as the Sycamores then held a 4-3 lead.
That Patriots' Darick Hall came up clutch in the seventh inning, as he sent one to deep center, clearing the bases, and reclaiming the lead over Indiana State, 6-4.
Indiana State would not settle, as Young led off the bottom of the seventh with a single, Owen was hit by a pitch, and Giesler singled to push Young across. Freshman Dane Tofteland came in to pinch hit, ripping one to left field to tie the game at 6-6.
In the top of the ninth, the Patriots loaded the bases, and would plate a run on a squeeze bunt, earning the go-ahead run that would leave the Sycamores trailing. Indiana State could not pick up a run in the bottom half of the inning, and they would fall to 24th ranked Dallas Baptist, 7-6.
The Sycamores out-hit the Patriots 16-14, as Young led with three hits and three runs scores. Moore finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs, Ayers went 2-for-3 with a run scored, and Friis was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate.
The Sycamores and Patriots will return to Bob Warn Field for a 1:00 p.m. ET start as the wrap-up the series with game three. For more information on Sycamore Baseball, visit GoSycamores.com or like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
