JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Indiana State handed Jacksonville its first sweep at Sessions Stadium in five seasons Sunday afternoon with an 8-3 victory over the Dolphins. It marked the first season-opening sweep for the Sycamores (3-0) since the 2010 campaign when ISU took three games from Texas Southern.
 
"We talked about focus yesterday and we had a long talk after the game about it again. I was just really pleased today," head coach Mitch Hannahs noted. "We came very focused from the moment we stepped out off the bus all the way until the game ended. I really like the focus that we finished the weekend with."
 
"I feel good that we were able to get the sweep against a good club on the road, but we've got a lot of work to do. We know that -- we understand that. This was a good barometer of where we're at and now we go back to work."
 
Three Sycamores belted their first home runs of the season in what many would consider a pitcher's ballpark with left and right field measuring 340 feet while centerfield stood 405 feet from home plate.
 
After senior shortstop Clay Dungan walked to open the game, the Yorktown, Indiana native made his way to third after a single and a fielder's choice before crossing the plate on a passed ball to put the Sycamores out in front.
 
One batter later, newcomer Ellison Hanna sent a ball over the wall in right field, scoring three runs and extending ISU's lead to 4-0 before Sycamore starting pitcher Tyler Whitbread had even thrown a pitch. It marked the first career home run for the Kirkwood CC transfer.
 
Jacksonville (0-3) got their offense churning in the second though with three straight singles to open the inning -- one a bunt single that rolled on the third base line. Whitbread would settle to get a pair of shallow pop outs and nearly get out of the inning unscathed but Reagan Wright sent a ground ball up the middle that looked to be manageable before deflecting off of Whitbread's cleat and rolling to through the right side to score a run.
 
Roby Enriquez made sure to get the run back in the third with his first home run of the season in front of an entourage of friends and family -- a bullet to right field. The Sycamores tacked on two more runs in the fourth when Mitch Barrow and Brandt Nowaskie drove in runs.
 
Junior catcher Max Wright continued his hot streak at the plate with the third home run of the game in the sixth inning. Angel Camacho singled in a run in the seventh but it didn't matter as the ISU bullpen was able to stop the JU offensive attack in its tracks.

Sophomore Jake Ridgway closed the door on Jacksonville in his second appearance from the bullpen this weekend. The New Lenox, Illinois product went three innings to secure the save, allowing just one baserunner in the outing en route to the save.
 
Whitbread went four innings in the start, allowing just two earned runs to the Dolphins in the no decision. The right-hander struck out two and walked one while allowing six hits. Even Giles made his 2019 debut after missing all of 2018 due to injury. The redshirt junior went an inning and allowed one run while recording one strikeout.
 
Will Buraconak (1-0) was credited with the win out of the bullpen for the Sycamores as he entered prior to Whitbread recording the minimum. Buraconak pitched a scoreless fifth inning, allowing a pair of base hits in his ISU debut.
 
Jarrod Watkins also tallied a pair of base hits for the Sycamores, joining Enriquez and Wright as the lone Indiana State batsmen to record more than one hit.
 
Camacho led Jacksonville at the plate, finishing 4-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI in the loss. Dolphin starting pitcher AJ Jones was charged with the loss after allowing six earned runs and six hits in four innings on the mound.
 
The Sycamores will continue their early season road schedule with a trip to Wilmington, North Carolina next weekend as they play a game apiece against UNCW, Marshall and Iona on the weekend before a pair of midweek games at Western Carolina.

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