NASHVILLE – Indiana State baseball rallied from a 4-2 deficit in the ninth to take down Belmont 7-4 in 10 innings Sunday afternoon to close out the SAF Dirt Classic. With the victory, Indiana State improved to 5-2 on the year and have won four straight.
 
With two outs and the bases empty in the ninth inning, pinch-hitter Brandt Nowaskie battled from an 0-2 count all the way to a walk to spark the Indiana State offense. Clay Dungan followed with a single up the middle before Jarrod Watkins cleared the bases and tied the game with a two-RBI triple to right field -- his first triple of the season.
 
Dane Tofteland picked up where the Sycamores left off in the 10th, leading off the inning with an infield single before moving into scoring position with a steal of second. Roberto Enriquez moved Tofteland to third on a sacrifice bunt to set up the game winner.
 
Newcomer Luke Fegen brought in the go-ahead run on a squeeze play a batter later. Fegen also scored two runs in the game and doubled in the seventh.
 
Indiana State added two more insurance runs in the inning as Max Wright singled to center, scoring Romero Harris who was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning as well as Fegen.
 
Lost in the rally was the pitching performance of Shelbyville, Indiana native Ethan Larrison (1-0). The right-hander entered in the sixth inning with ISU trailing 4-1 and tossed the final five innings, allowing just two hits and striking out four en route to his first win of the season.
 
In a scheduled staff day on the mound, Tyler Whitbread started the game, tossing 2.2 innings and allowing two runs. Geremy Guerrero pitched one inning allowing a run while Jake Ridgway went two-thirds of an inning allowing a run. Tyler Grauer pitched the final two outs of the fifth, walking one and allowing a hit.
 
Watkins led the Trees at the plate with a 3-for-4 day and two RBIs. Wright finished 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs and Fegen added two runs scored in three plate appearances after entering the game in the fourth.
 
Belmont fell to 3-4 on the season as Logan Bowen (0-1) was charged with the loss.
 
Indiana State will make its way back to Nashville next week with a midweek matchup with nationally ranked Vanderbilt Wednesday. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. ET.
 
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.