NORMAL, Ill. -- Three-seeded Indiana State baseball picked up an opening game victory over Evansville Wednesday night, defeating the fourth-seeded Aces, 7-0, at Duffy Bass Field. ISU improved to 37-15 overall while the Aces fell to 24-28 on the year.
 
With the win, the Sycamores advance to take on the host and No. 2 Illinois State Redbirds Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET.
 
Indiana State did not put a runner on base until the third inning in which 10 Sycamores came to the plate and seven runs crossed -- all with one out. Entering the frame, UE's Adam Lukas had thrown just 22 pitches to retire ISU in order through two innings, but the Sycamores held patient to force Lukas to throw 33 in the inning as he was run from the game after recording just one out.
 
Max Wright opened the inning with a nine-pitch walk before Luke Fegen broke up the no-hit bid with a ground ball up the middle. The Sycamores took advantage of a fielding error at shortstop to load the bases before senior Jake Means uncorked his second grand slam this season to put the Sycamores ahead.
 
Second baseman Jarrod Watkins came back a batter later and took the first pitch he saw to the gap in right center for a double. After a wild pitch moved Watkins to third, Romero Harris drew a walk to put runners at the corners. Roby Enriquez added to the Sycamore lead with an RBI single to right field, scoring Watkins. Senior CJ Huntley doubled down the line in left to bring in both runners and tie the Sycamores highest-scoring inning of the season.
 
Southpaw Triston Polley (7-1) put together another quality start for the Sycamores, battling through seven complete innings, allowing five hits and striking out six. Of the 28 batters the southpaw faced, he walked just two Purple Aces.
 
The Sycamores helped Polley's cause, turning three double plays on the night, but did commit a pair of errors in the shutout. Geremy Guerrero tossed the final two innings for the Sycamores, recording three strikeouts while allowing a pair of hits.
 
Means led ISU's cause at the plate with four RBIs on the grand slam while Huntley drove in two and Enriquez one. No Sycamore recorded multiple hits as the Aces outhit Indiana State, 7-5.
 
UE was led by Matthew Jones with a two-hit effort. Lukas fell to 5-6 on the season after allowing six earned runs in two and a third innings. Michael Parks was solid out of the bullpen for the Aces, allowing just one base hit and striking out four in five and two-third innings of relief work.
 
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