TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Brooke Mann hit her second home run in as many days and Shaye Barton roped a walk-off single to right as Indiana State claimed a 2-1, 8-inning win over Northern Iowa Sunday in the final game of a Missouri Valley Conference series at Price Field.
 
Barton came up for the Sycamores (10-12, 1-2) with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth in a 1-1 tie and hit an RBI single to the right field wall, sending Leslie Sims home for the winning run. Sims reached on a one-out walk, stole second and then moved to third on Bailey Martin's single to third.
 
Northern Iowa (11-10, 2-1) elected to intentionally walk Bella Peterson in order to set up a potential double play but it didn't matter as Barton's hit drove in the winning run for Indiana State.
 
Brooke Mann gave the Trees an early lead in the second with her third home run of the season, a solo shot that easily cleared the wall down the left field line. UNI would even up the game in the fourth with a solo home run as well as Adara Opiola sent the ball beyond the right field wall, one of only three hits in the game for UNI.
 
Arielle Blankenship (3-4) only gave up one hit and did not allow a run in 3.1 innings pitched in relief. She took the circle with a tie game in the fourth.
 
Erica Oler (1-4) was charged with the loss after being responsible for the game-winning run while allowing only one hit in 3.2 innings in relief. She left the game after allowing Sims' walk in the seventh. Brooke Craig replaced her and allowed two hits, including Barton's walk-off single.
 
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Shaye Barton gets the honor Sunday as she came up big in the clutch. With bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the eighth, all it took was a sacrifice fly to win the game for the Sycamores. But Barton left no doubt, lacing a hard-hit single off the right field wall on the first pitch she saw and driving in the winning run.
 
STAT OF THE GAME
Brooke Mann is the first Sycamore to hit home runs in consecutive days this season and the first Indiana State player to do so in consecutive days since Rebecca Gibbs did so on Feb. 17-18 last year.
 
PITCHERS OF RECORD

• Win: Arielle Blankenship, Indiana State (3-4)
• Loss: Erica Oler, Northern Iowa (1-4)
• Save: None

 
RECORDS UPDATE

• Indiana State: 10-12 (1-2 MVC)
• Northern Iowa: 11-10 (2-1 MVC)

NOTABLES

• Indiana State is now 32-65 all-time against Northern Iowa. The Sycamores and the Panthers have split the last 10 meetings, 5-5.
• With the win, Indiana State is now 2-0 this year in extra-inning games. The Sycamores beat Tennessee Tech on Feb. 16 in eight innings.
• Brooke Mann's home run was the third of the season for the senior and the 13^th of her career. She is now tied for fifth all-time in career home runs at Indiana State alongside Shelby Wilson (2011-14).
• ISU is 8-4 this season when scoring first.

For the latest information on the Sycamore Softball team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.