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Indiana State University Athletics

Gilley
15
Winner Indiana State INS 39-11
4
Valparaiso VALPO 14-38
Winner
Indiana State INS
39-11
15
Final
4
Valparaiso VALPO
14-38
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Indiana State INS 2 1 2 0 6 2 2 15 15 0
Valparaiso VALPO 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 4 7 1

W: Gilley, Cole (3-0) L: Guazzo, Adam (0-7)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Seth Montgomery | GoSycamores.com

Sycamores power their way to 15-4 win in regular season finale at Valparaiso

VALPARAISO Ind. – Mike Sears homered twice and Luis Hernandez, Josue Urdaneta, and Adam Pottinger also connected on Saturday afternoon as Indiana State topped host Valparaiso, 15-4, in the final game of the 2024 regular season.
 
The Sycamores (39-11, 22-5) jumped ahead in the regular season finale at Emory G. Bauer Stadium as Hernandez connected on a two-run home run in the top of the first inning for his fourth home run of the weekend stake ISU to the early lead. Indiana State added runs in both the second and third innings before Valparaiso (14-38, 6-21) rallied back in the fourth inning.
 
The Beacons started their comeback in the bottom of the third on Kaleb Hannahs' solo home run, before Valparaiso worked the bases-loaded against ISU starter Luke Hayden in the fourth. The Beacons plated three runs in the frame before ISU reliever Cole Gilley (3-0) entered the contest and forced the inning-ending fielder's choice with the final out at second base to end the Valparaiso rally with ISU holding the 5-4 lead.
 
The one-run advantage was stretched back out in the top of the fifth as Mike Sears connected on a three-run home run to right center sparking a six-run rally as the Sycamores stretched the lead to 11-4. Sears, Urdaneta, and Pottinger all homered over the course of the sixth and seventh innings with Pottinger's two-run home run down the right field line in the seventh providing the final scoring margin.
 
Gilley settled in for his third win of the 2024 season as the junior right-hander allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out five over 3.1 innings on the mound. He pitched around batters on the afternoon getting a double play to end a threat in the sixth, while striking out two in the seventh ahead of the game-inning fielder's choice to wrap up the contest.
 
All nine Sycamores in the starting lineup reached base on Saturday afternoon paced by three-hit days from Hernandez, Sears, and Urdaneta. Sears finished 3-for-3 with a double, two home runs, three runs and five RBIs, while Hernandez also scored three times in the win. ISU added three stolen bases in the contest with Hernandez, Parker Stinson, and Pottinger all swiping a bag on Saturday.
 
Hayden went the first 3.2 innings in the start allowing five hits and four runs while striking out five in the no-decision.
 
Seven different Beacons recorded hits on Saturday afternoon with Hannahs and Liam Patton both homering for Valparaiso.
 
Adam Guazzo (0-7) went the first 3.0 innings in the start allowing six hits and five runs while striking out two. Kaleb Krier, Jonathan Hyman, Trent Turzenski, Grant Jablonski, and Bryce Konitzer all saw time on the mound in the loss.
 
How They Scored
  • ­Luis Hernandez started the scoring on Saturday afternoon in the top of the first inning by following Dominic Listi's hit-by-pitch with a two-run home run to right field to give Indiana State the early 2-0 lead.
  • Randal Diaz added to the Sycamore lead in the second inning with an RBI single to center scoring Mike Sears to push the advantage to 3-0.
  • Sears connected on an RBI sacrifice fly scoring Hernandez and Grant Magill singled in Adam Pottinger to put Indiana State ahead 5-0 after the top of the third inning.
  • Kaleb Hannahs cut the ISU lead down to 5-1 with a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the third inning.
  • Valparaiso rallied for three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to pull within 5-4 as Liam Patton connected on a solo home run, while Brady Renfro drew a bases-loaded walk and Kyle Schmack was hit by a pitch bringing in a run to cut the ISU lead down to 5-4.
  • The Sycamores responded with a six-run fifth inning highlighted by Mike Sears' three-run home run to right center, while Randal Diaz drew a bases-loaded walk and Dominic Listi brought in another run on an infield single to put the lead at 11-4.
  • Sears and Josue Urdaneta both connected on solo home runs in the top of the sixth inning to stretch the lead to 13-4.
  • Adam Pottinger provided the final margin with a two-run home run down the right field line scoring Hernandez to cap the 15-4 ballgame. 
News & Notes
  • Indiana State's win on Saturday afternoon secured the Sycamores' fourth Missouri Valley series sweep of the 2024 season and continued ISU's 19th consecutive MVC series win dating back to the final weekend of the 2022 season.
  • Mike Sears' two-homer game marked his fifth multi-homer game of the 2024 season and second of the weekend as he connected on his Valley-leading 22nd and 23rd home runs on Saturday afternoon.
  • Sears' final home run in the sixth inning was No. 49 of his Indiana State career surpassing ISU's all-time career mark set by Boi Rodriguez (48, 1985-87).
  • Luis Hernandez connected on home run No. 21 of the 2024 season in the first inning to take second place in the ISU single season record books surpassing Rodriguez (20, 1985).
  • Hernandez has homered in each of the last five games with six home runs over the span that started on May 11 against Evansville.
  • Josue Urdaneta homered for the second time of the weekend for home run No. 2 of the 2024 season.
  • Adam Pottinger connected on home run No. 9 of the 2024 season moving him within one of becoming the fifth Indiana State player to hit double-digit home runs this year.
  • Indiana State combined to hit 16 home runs over the weekend series against Valparaiso, their most in a single series in the 2024 season.
  • ISU's 99 team home runs in 2024 continues to trail the program's all-time team single season mark of 115 set back in the 1985 season.
  • Sears' two-homer game marked the 12th time an ISU player has connected on two or more home runs in the same game this season.
  • Josue Urdaneta extended his on-base streak to 39 consecutive games after singling in the top of the second inning. He finished the day 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored, and an RBI.
  • Adam Pottinger extended his on-base streak to 22 consecutive games on Saturday following his one-out walk in the top of the third. He finished the day 1-for-3 with two RBIs, two walks, three runs scored, and a home run.
  • Randal Diaz extended his hitting streak to 23 consecutive games and on-base streak to 29 games following his RBI single in the top of the second inning. He finished the day 1-for-4 with two RBIs and a walk.
  • Cole Gilley picked up his third win of the season while tying a season-best 3.1 innings of work on Saturday afternoon. The junior right-hander finished one off his season-best with five strikeouts on the day.
  • The Sycamores are 48-8-1 over their last 57 Missouri Valley conference games.
  • Indiana State ran its winning streak against Valparaiso to 25 consecutive games following the series sweep over the Beacons this weekend.
Up Next
Indiana State opens the Missouri Valley Championships next week on Wednesday afternoon as the top-seeded Sycamores await their opponent in the 5 p.m. ET game time at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium. The contest will be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
 
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