TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Connor Fenlong continued his recent stretch of domination with his fourth complete game shutout over his last six starts and the top-seeded Indiana State offense exploded for 10 runs over eight innings as the Sycamores topped No. 7 Belmont on Thursday afternoon at Bob Warn Field, 10-0.
 
Fenlong (10-2) has not allowed an earned run dating back to April 29 against Evansville, a span of 30.0 innings, and posted his third complete game shutout in May as the redshirt senior scattered five Belmont (27-33) singles in the win. The Gouverneur, N.Y. native allowed just one runner in scoring position while tying his career-high with eight strikeouts in his second win over the Bruins in 2023.
 
Fenlong became the first Indiana State (40-14) pitcher to post a complete game shutout in the MVC Tournament since May 22, 2013, when Devin Moore shut down Southern Illinois, 5-0, at Duffy Bass Field. He also became the first ISU pitcher to record at least four complete game shutouts in the same season since Jim Ridenour recorded five back in 1977.
 
The pitching brilliance on the mound was matched by the offensive attack at the plate. Four Sycamores posted multi-hit games paced by Miguel Rivera's 3-for-5 day at the plate, while Parker Stinson homered in Indiana State's second run-rule win of 2023. Luis Hernandez, Rivera, and Mike Sears all doubled in the win.
 
ISU took the lead on Sears' second inning double to the left center wall scoring Rivera. The Sycamores seized control of the game with a four-run fifth inning capped by Rivera's two-run single, while Stinson capped the game with a two-run blast over the right field wall in the top of the eighth.
 
Fenlong and the Sycamore defense were on point throughout the game limiting Belmont's opportunities to come back in the game. The redshirt senior struck out the side in the third inning, picked off a runner in the fifth, and added two more strikeouts in the sixth to keep the Bruins at bay.
 
The defense was nearly Fenlong's equal in the game with ISU turning a key double play in the bottom of the seventh. Rivera ended the game as the first baseman ran into the padded wall near the dugout in foul territory to corral the final pop-up of the game.
 
Brodey Heaton led Belmont's offense with a 2-for-3 day at the plate.
 
Joe Ruzicka (1-4) took the loss allowing five hits and four runs over 4.1 innings. Caleb Guisewhite and Jake Timbes went the remaining 3.2 innings to close out the game.
 
How They Scored

• Mike Sears connected on a one-out RBI double to the wall in left center scoring Miguel Rivera from first base as Indiana State took the early 1-0 lead over the Bruins in the top of the second.
• The Sycamores sent 10 batters to the plate in the top of the fifth inning with Luis Hernandez (RBI double) and Miguel Rivera (two-run single) highlighting a four-run rally to give Indiana State the 5-0 lead.
• The lead hit 8-0 as the Sycamores added three runs in the top of the seventh. Grant Magill drew a bases-loaded walk to open the scoring, while Randal Diaz (RBI single) and Josue Urdaneta (RBI groundout) capped the three-run inning.
• Parker Stinson capped the scoring with a two-run home run into the wind and over the right field wall scoring Keegan Watson in the top of the eighth inning to give ISU the 10-0 lead.

News & Notes                                                                                                                                    

• Indiana State has won at least two games in the MVC Tournament in five of the last six seasons following Thursday afternoon's victory over Belmont.
• 2023 marks the 11th time Indiana State has started the conference tournament with back-to-back wins and first since the Sycamores won their first two games back in the 2021 season.
• ISU's 10-0 win over Belmont came in the two teams' first postseason competition against each other.
• Indiana State improved to 4-0 against Belmont in 2023 with the win. ISU swept the Bruins in the weekend series in Nashville back on April 14-16.
• Indiana State's 40 wins marked the 12th time in program history ISU has hit the 40-win mark and first since 2019.
• Thursday's win over Belmont marked ISU's 17th win at Bob Warn Field in 2023. ISU last won at least 17 games in Terre Haute back in the 2015 season.
• Connor Fenlong posted his fourth complete game shutout over his last six starts and has not allowed an earned run over his last 30.0 innings on the mound dating back to April 29 at Evansville.
• Fenlong's four complete game shutouts are the most by a pitcher in the NCAA Division I this season.
• His four complete game shutouts put him in a three-way tie for the third-most in the MVC in a single season dating back to 1977. He currently is tied with Wichita State's Erik Sonberg (1983) and Don Heinkel (1982) and two back of MVC record-holder Bryan Oelkers (Wichita State, 1982).
• Fenlong sits one complete game shutout this season behind ISU's all-time single season mark trailing just Jim Ridenour (5, 1977).
• The 2023 MVC Pitcher of the Year lowered his season ERA to 3.24 over 100.0 innings pitched.
• Fenlong's eight strikeouts tied his previous career-high set back on March 12 at Memphis.
• Fenlong's postseason complete game shutout on Thursday afternoon marked ISU's first CG shutout in the MVC Tournament since Devin Moore went the distance in a 5-0 shutout over Southern Illinois back on May 22, 2013.
• Fenlong becomes the first Indiana State pitcher with 10 wins in a single season since Geremy Guerreo picked up 11 in 2021.
• Miguel Rivera recorded his first three-hit game of 2023 and second of his collegiate career. It tied his previous career-high three-hit game set back at Elon on March 1, 2020.
• Adam Pottinger reached base safely three times in Thursday afternoon's game to run his on-base streak to 30 consecutive games. His on-base streak is the second-longest in the Mitch Hannahs coaching era trailing only Romero Harris (31, 2018).
• Indiana State was hit by three more pitches in Thursday afternoon's game giving the Sycamores 103 in the team statistic for the season. It marks the third-most by an ISU team since 2012 (104) and trails only the 105 times the Sycamores were hit back in 2018.

Up Next
No. 1 Indiana State will take on the winner of Thursday night's game between No. 4 Evansville/No. 5 Murray State. The teams are scheduled to play on Friday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. ET. The game will be carried live on 105.5 The Legend and ESPN+.
 
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