WILMINGTON, N.C. - It was a pitchers' duel in the Friday night opener of the Hughes Brothers Challenge against the host UNC Wilmington Seahawks. Indiana State (4-0) pitchers combined to strike out 14 UNCW batters and allow just four hits en route to the combined shutout at Brooks Field.
 
Senior southpaw Triston Polley went six complete innings and struck out a career high eight batters while Jake Ridgway struck out four in just an inning and two-thirds out of the bullpen. Left-hander Tyler Grauer shut down UNCW for the final four outs as the Sycamores went on to claim the victory.
 
The lone run of the game was scored in the fourth inning as Jarrod Watkins sent a ball high in the air down the left field line that was dropped and sent back into fair territory, allowing the infielder to reach second base. Watkins would move to third on a sacrifice bunt from Roby Enriquez and would come home on a Joe Boyle sacrifice fly to right.
 
Polley, who improved to 1-0 on the season after the start, worked around UNCW (3-3) runners in scoring position in each of the first four innings. The Avon, Indiana product struck out three of the final six batters he faced while allowing just three base hits during his start.
 
Ridgway entered in the seventh and continued what Polley had started, retiring all three Seahawks he faced on strikeouts. After a fly ball to right field to begin the eighth inning, the Seahawks would catch a break when Watkins dropped a routine fly ball on the infield to put UNCW's Greg Jones on second. Jones would move to third on a balk call before the Seahawks eventually loaded the bases.  
 
Grauer entered from the bullpen with two outs and the bases loaded and swiftly retired Brooks Baldwin on a strikeout to end the threat. He went on to pitch the ninth and close out the game for his first save of the season.
 
Clay Dungan, Jake Means and Watkins each tallied a hit in the game while Boyle's sacrifice fly produced the lone run.

Both teams combined to go 0-16 with RISP, including UNCW at 0-12. Dugan had the lone two-out hit of the game, a double in the eighth inning. 
 
Baldwin had two of the four hits for UNC Wilmington. Luke Gesell was charged with the loss after going a career long six and two-third innings and striking out seven.
 
Indiana State will return to the diamond Saturday morning with a neutral site matchup with Marshall set to begin at 10 a.m. ET. Right-hander Colin Liberatore is scheduled to make his second start on the mound for the Trees.  
 
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