TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Nick Sutherlin homered twice and Weston Fulk added a two-run shot as the Indiana State offense powered their way to a 17-3 run-rule shortened Friday afternoon win over Illinois State at Bob Warn Field.
 
Indiana State (24-29, 12-14) clinched a berth into the 2025 Missouri Valley Baseball Championship field with Friday afternoon's victory as the Sycamores connected on 15 hits, including five extra-base knocks, in evening the series against Illinois State (26-26, 14-12). The Sycamores sit one game ahead of Bradley (11-15) and two games ahead of Evansville (10-16) in the hunt for the No. 7 seed in the tournament field.
 
Sutherlin turned in a career performance with a 3-for-4 outing at the plate with a game-high six RBIs, while Fulk added his first four-hit game with three RBIs as the Sycamore offense struck early and often against Illinois State starter Tanner Perry (4-5).
 
Judah Morris staked the Redbirds to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning with a two-run home run to left field. The Sycamores responded in the bottom of the inning with Jorge Cartagena scoring on an errant throw by Perry, while Jackson Taylor drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game at 2-2.
 
Indiana State took over from there with Carter Beck singling home Cartagena, before Fulk connected on his third home run of the season, a two-run shot over the center field wall to make it a 5-2 game. Sutherlin homered in the third inning and added an RBI single in the fifth, before the Sycamores blew the doors open on the Illinois State pitching staff in the sixth.
 
The Sycamores sent 16 batters to the plate in the 10-run bottom of the sixth inning to stretch the Indiana State lead to 17-3. Beck and Emil Estrella both drove in multiple RBIs in the inning as all nine Sycamores in the lineup reached base in the inning. Sutherlin provided the big hit in the frame with a one-out grand slam scoring Jackson Taylor, Alex Nevils, and Fulk to put the game at the run-rule.
 
Fulk recorded his first four-hit game of the 2025 season, while Sutherlin and Beck had three hits apiece overall in the win. Alex Nevils added a pair of singles in the game.
 
Jack Armstrong (3-0) took the win on Friday afternoon allowing one hit while striking out one over 2.0 innings of work. Grant Parson went the first 4.0 innings allowing four hits and three runs, while Gavin Morris needed just 11 pitches to retire all three batters he faced in the scoreless top of the seventh inning.
 
Five different Illinois State players recorded hits led by Morris' two-run home run in the first inning. Noah Smith and Daniel Pacella both doubled in the loss.
 
Perry worked 2.0 innings allowing five hits and five runs (two earned) in taking the loss. The Redbirds' defense combined to commit five errors overall in the ballgame. Thomas Harper, Braden Roesch, Toby Schriefer, Lawson Minshew, and Anthony Pardo all saw time on the mound in the game.
 
How They Scored

• Judah Morris put Illinois State on the board with a two-run home run to left center in the top of the first inning scoring Noah Smith to put the Redbirds ahead 2-0.
• Jorge Cartagena doubled and scored on an errant throw by the Redbirds' pitcher, and Jackson Taylor drew a bases-loaded walk scoring Carter Beck as Indiana State tied the game up at 2-2 in the bottom of the first inning.
• Beck singled home Cartagena to make it a 3-2 game, before Weston Fulk drilled a two-run home run into the trees in center field to stretch the lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the second.
• Nick Sutherlin made it 6-2 Indiana State in the bottom of the third with a solo home run to right center.
• Noah Smith scored on a wild pitch in the top of the fifth inning as Illinois State took one back in the frame to cut the lead to 6-3.
• Alex Nevils and Sutherlin combined to make it 7-3 Indiana State in the bottom of the fifth as Nevils singled to lead off the inning, and then Sutherlin singled him home to stretch the Sycamore lead back to four runs.
• The Sycamore offense exploded for 10 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 17-3 lead. Carter Beck (RBI double), Weston Fulk (RBI single) and Emil Estrella (RBI sac fly) started the rally to make it a 10-3 game, before Sutherlin connected on a grand slam over the left center wall to stretch the lead to 14-3.
• Beck added his second RBI of the inning with a sacrifice fly to center scoring Nomar Garcia, while Estrella and Alex Nevils drew bases-loaded walks to provide the final 17-3 scoring margin.

News & Notes

• Jorge Cartagena ran his hitting streak to seven consecutive games after connecting on a one-out double in the bottom of the first inning on his way to going 1-for-3 from the plate with four runs scored.
• Weston Fulk's second-inning home run marked his third home run of the 2025 season and first since going deep on April 4 at Belmont.
• Nick Sutherlin's solo home run in the third inning marked his second home run of 2025 and first since going deep on February 16 against Wagner.
• Sutherlin connected on Indiana State's seventh individual multi-homer game of the season after connecting on a solo home run in the third and a grand slam in the sixth.
• Sutherlin's sixth inning grand slam was Indiana State's first of the 2025 season and first since Mike Sears connected on a grand slam at the 2024 NCAA Lexington Regional against Illinois (8th inning) in the 13-2 win over the Fighting Illini. 

Up Next
Indiana State and Illinois State close out the weekend series tomorrow afternoon at Bob Warn Field with first pitch set for 1 p.m. ET. The Sycamores will recognize their 2025 Senior Class of Jackson Taylor, Thomas Emerich, Zac Laird, Keegan Garis, Carlos Pena, and Gavin Morris, in a pregame ceremony starting at 12:40 p.m. The game will be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
 
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