SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Indiana State baseball rallied in the ninth but fell short as the Sycamores dropped an elimination game to Dallas Baptist 6-5 Friday night at Hammons Field in Springfield. Senior Dominic Bifano hit a solo home run to lead off the ninth inning but that would be all the Sycamores would get as they closed out their season 29-26.
 
A major factor in the game was the ability of DBU to hit with runners on base (7-of-18) while ISU was not able to keep pace, totaling just two hits in 14 chances.
 
No. 2 seeded Dallas Baptist (39-19) wasted no time getting on the board as they struck for a pair of runs in the top of the first. Matt Duce had a home run called foul by just a few feet in right field but two pitches later, he made it clear when he sent a ball over the wall in right-center to put the Patriots ahead on a two-run home run.
 
The Sycamores cut the DBU lead in half in the second inning after Dominic Bifano got the Sycamores into the hit column after DBU freshman Ray Gaither had retired the first five batters he faced. The Sycamores were set with runners at first and third after Brandt Nowaskie chopped a ball over the head of the first baseman into right field. Bifano would scurry home from third on a passed ball in the next at bat.
 
Sophomore Clay Dungan put the Sycamores on top in the third with a two-run home run to left on an 0-1 count. He brought home Cody Gardner who walked two batters earlier.
 
It wasn't until the fifth that either team would put another run on the scoreboard as DBU tallied two to take a 4-3 lead. The Patriots opened the inning with back-to-back doubles before taking the lead on a fielder's choice on a ball hit to short.
 
Senior Ryan Keaffaber (4-6) exited the game in fifth inning after allowing just four hits to a high-powered DBU offense. The senior struck out one and allowed three earned runs as he struggled with his command, walking four DBU hitters.
 
The Sycamores missed a key opportunity to tie the ballgame in the sixth inning after Dane Giesler singled to start the inning, moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on a groundout. He would be thrown out at the plate after Tony Rosselli sent a sharp liner to shortstop.
 
That was when momentum changed in the game as DBU came back to string together back-to-back singles. Duce would extend the Dallas Baptist lead when he singled to center to make it 5-3. The run scored was the third RBI for Duce in the game.  
 
Cody Gardner brought the Sycamores to within one run in the seventh after Brandt Nowaskie tripled to lead off the inning. Gardner drove him in on a sacrifice fly to right field two batters later.
 
The Sycamores squandered another opportunity in the eighth after Dungan doubled to lead things off. DBU reliever Dalton Higgins recorded three-straight outs including a strikeout of Rosselli to end the threat.
 
DBU added an insurance run in the ninth inning on a single through the left side and that was enough to hold on for the win.
 
Austin Conway went a season long 3.2 innings while striking out four runs. Ethan Larrison struck out one in the ninth, getting out of a bases loaded jam to hold the Pats to only a run but it was just enough for the Patriots to hold on for the win.
 
Dungan, Nowaskie and Bifano each tallied two hits in the game while Dungan came away with a pair of RBIs as well.
 
With the conclusion of the season, the Sycamores say farewell to 10 seniors in Dominic Bifano, Austin Conway, Cody Gardner, Justin Hill, Ryan Keaffaber, Trent Lunsford, Kyle Moore, Damon Olds, Tony Rosselli and Jeff Zahn.
 
For the latest information on the Sycamore Baseball team, be sure to visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.