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Indiana State University Athletics

Diaz
4
Winner Illinois ILL 35-19
1
Indiana State INS 42-13
Winner
Illinois ILL
35-19
4
Final
1
Indiana State INS
42-13
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Illinois ILL 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 4 6 0
Indiana State INS 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0

W: Crowder, Jack. (7-2) L: Davidson, Zach (5-2) S: Glassey, Joseph (9)

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

Sycamores drop 4-1 contest to Illinois in Lexington Regional opener; Will take on Western Michigan Saturday at noon

LEXINGTON, Ky. – No. 3 Illinois held off No. 2 Indiana State in a pitcher's duel on Friday night at Kentucky Proud Park as the Sycamores dropped the opening game of the Lexington Regional to the Fighting Illini, 4-1.
 
The Sycamores (42-14) will face Western Michigan in an elimination game tomorrow afternoon with a projected noon ET first pitch at Kentucky Proud Park. The Broncos fell in their opening game to No. 2 national seed and regional host Kentucky on Friday afternoon, 10-8. The game is set to be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
 
The Sycamores and Illini (35-19) took the field for the third time in the 2024 season after splitting the season series with both teams winning their respective home contests. Both teams also competed in a fall scrimmage in Champaign providing a sense of familiarity between the two squads that played out on the field as the game settled into a pitcher's duel early.
 
Illinois took the lead in the top of the third inning with Dylan Westcott connecting on a two-run single through the right-side scoring Cal Hejza and Connor Milton to give the Illini the 2-0 lead. The Sycamores limited the damage as Josue Urdaneta fielded a grounder up the middle and turned the double play to end the inning.
 
Illinois right-handed pitcher Jack Crowder (7-2) kept the Sycamores off-balance throughout the contest and retired the first nine Indiana State players in order before Randal Diaz led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a solo home run down the left field line. Luis Hernandez followed two batters later with a double down the right field line and advanced to third on a wild pitch putting the tying run 90 feet from the plate. However, Crowder escaped the jam getting a foul out to limit the Indiana State scoring chance.
 
The Fighting Illini continued to threaten throughout the contest putting runners on base in four of the final five frames before as Illinois took advantage of nine ISU walks and a hit-by-pitch to keep the pressure on the Sycamores.
 
Luis Hernandez fielded a line drive and doubled off a runner to keep Illinois off the scoreboard in the fifth, before the Illini added to their lead in the eighth. Brody Harding singled home Westcott in the top of the eighth inning to give Illinois the 3-1 lead, and Milton scored on a passed ball in the ninth to put Illinois ahead 4-1.
 
Crowder retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced surrendering just a two-out Grant Magill single to right field in the bottom of the eighth before turning the ball over to Joseph Glassey (S, 9) in the ninth. Glassey retired the Sycamores in order to close out the contest and secure the save.
 
Diaz, Hernandez, and Magill combined for Indiana State's three hits in the contest. The Sycamores did not draw a walk or get hit by a pitch for the first time in the 2024 season.
 
Davidson went 4.0 innings in his first start of the season as the senior left-hander allowed four hits and two runs while walking three and striking out three. Jacob Pruitt went 1.2 innings in relief, while Jared Spencer and Simon Gregersen went the final 3.1 frames in the contest.
 
Westcott paced the Illinois offense with a double among his two hits as the Fighting Illini connected on six hits overall in the contest. Milton scored two runs in the win.
 
Crowder went 8.0 innings allowing three hits and a run while striking out five to secure the win. Glassey worked a perfect ninth in the save.
 
How They Scored
  • ­Dylan Westcott singled home Cal Hejza and Connor Milton in the top of the third inning to put Illinois ahead 2-0.
  • The Sycamores took one back in the bottom of the fourth as Randal Diaz connected on a solo home run down the left field line to cut the deficit down to 2-1.
  • Brody Harding added to the Illinois lead in the top of the eighth inning with a bloop base hit to left field bringing home Westcott to stake the visiting team to the 3-1 lead.
  • Milton scored the final run of the contest in the top of the ninth crossing the plate on a passed ball to provide the final 4-1 margin. 
News & Notes
  • Randal Diaz extended his hitting streak to 29 consecutive games and his on-base streak to 35 contests following his leadoff solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning.
  • Diaz's home run marked his 17th home run of the 2024 season and 33rd of his Indiana State career.
  • Grant Magill threw out his 14th runner attempting to steal in the first inning after catching Illinois' Cal Hejza attempting to take third base. He's thrown out six of the last eight runners attempting to steal a base in the last 26 games as teams have stopped running against the Sycamores.  
Postgame Press Conference


Up Next
Indiana State will take on Western Michigan in an elimination game on Saturday afternoon with a noon ET first pitch at Kentucky Proud Park. The game is set to be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
 
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