TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Indiana State baseball opened is home slate with a 5-4 win over Western Illinois Saturday afternoon at Bob Warn Field in front of 430 Sycamore fans.
 
Junior third baseman Jake Means led the charge at the plate with a 2-for-4 day as the Sycamores improved to 7-5 on the season with the victory. Clay Dungan finished 1-for-3 at the plate, driving in a pair of runs for the Sycamores while also making several tough plays at shortstop.
 
Right-hander Tyler Ward was credited with the win on the mound, improving to 2-1 on the season while Ethan Larrison pitched the final two innings to pick up his third save of the year.
 
The Sycamores scored two runs in the opening inning of play as Dungan singled home Luke Fegen to start the scoring. Fegen led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch before heading home. Designated hitter Romero Harris would later send Dungan to the plate after singling to right field.
 
Indiana State loaded the bases on three-straight singles to open the second inning, but would be held to just one run as a double play and a strikeout would end the threat.  
 
Western Illinois (0-10) answered with a run of their own in the third inning before the Trees added two more runs in the fourth inning to push their lead to 5-1. A bases-loaded RBI walk for Dan Giesler would score Means from third before Dungan recorded an RBI sacrifice fly to plate Jarrod Watkins.
 
The Leatherneck bats were hot all day as the Western outhit Indiana State 13-8 on the afternoon. WIU put two runners on in the seventh inning before the Trees went to the bullpen in right-hander Donnie Ames who would get out of the inning, allowing just one inherited run to score.
 
The eighth and ninth innings were all Larrison as the stopper shut the door on the Leathernecks, allowing just one baserunner and striking out a pair in two innings of work.
 
Ward went six and a third innings, allowing four runs and striking out six batters.
 
The Sycamores and Leathernecks will play game two of the series Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET from Bob Warn Field. Southpaw Triston Polley is scheduled to make his fourth start of the season.
 
The game can be seen live on The Valley On ESPN3 and Sycamore fans can listen to the game via GoSycamores.com/Watch with Brian Fritz on the call.
 
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.