CARBONDALE, Ill. - It was a wet and wild afternoon at Abe Martin Field in Carbondale, Ill., as the Indiana State University and Southern Illinois University baseball teams battled to a dramatic ending on Sunday, with the Salukis pulling out a 13-12 victory in 10 innings.

Indiana State (25-12, 6-5 MVC) scored nine times in the top of the ninth inning to rally from an 11-3 deficit to take a 12-11 lead heading into the bottom of the inning.

Southern Illinois (18-22, 6-8 MV) took advantage of Sycamore pitching over the next two innings however, scoring one run on a bases loaded walk in the ninth and winning the game on a wild pitch in the tenth.

SIU jumped out to an early lead on Sunday, tallying three runs in both the first and third innings and two more in the fourth to take an 8-0 lead.

The Sycamores got on the board in the fifth, when senior Ben Ferrell led off the inning with his first home run in an Indiana State uniform to cut the lead to 8-1.

ISU would cut the SIU lead to 8-2 the following inning, when Ferrell drove in freshman Jeremy Lucas from second base with a single through the middle of the infield.

Indiana State scored another run in the top of the sixth inning, with senior Luke Fieser getting on base with a one-out double. Freshman Robby Ort came to the plate next and brought Fieser home with a single to center field, cutting the SIU lead to five, at 8-3.

The Salukis responded with three insurance runs over the seventh and eighth innings, with all three runs coming on home runs.

The Sycamores entered the top of the ninth inning down 11-3, but would score nine runs during the inning to take a 12-11 lead after the frame. Senior Ryan Strausborger led off the inning with his third home run of the season, a ball sent sailing over the left-center field wall. Sophomore Kyle Burnam followed with a hit before senior Luke Fieser drew a walk. The Salukis would pick up two outs on a double play by Ort, but that was the last out they would get for the next eight batters, as the Sycamores began to chip away at the lead.

After Lucas drew a two-out walk to put runners on the corners, Burnam would score the second run of the inning on a wild pitch. Senior Tyler Graham would draw a walk after that, setting off a series of run-scoring plays for the Sycamores.

Freshman Jake Hartley and junior Phil Liniger tallied back-to-back RBI singles to cut SIU's lead to 11-7. Ferrell would draw a walk to load the bases next, bringing Strausborger to plate with the bases loaded. Strausborger singled to right field to cut the lead to 11-8 and then the madness truly began in the inning.

In what seemed to be the final play of the game, a ground ball off the bat of Burnam was sent towards the SIU second baseman Blake Pinnon. As the ball came out of the infield grass it flew into the air, and over the outstretched glove of Pinnon and into right field, allowing Liniger to score and continue the inning. In the final scoring play of the inning, Fieser came to the plate next and slapped a ball into the hole between second and third base. Saluki shortstop Michael Stalter got to the ball and attempted to throw a hustling Burnam out at second base, but the throw was wide of the bag and went into right field, allowing three runs to score on the play, putting ISU up 12-11.

The Sycamore bullpen could not hold the lead however, giving up one run in both the ninth and tenth innings. The Salukis scored in each inning with the benefit of a hit, as three ISU relievers hit four batters and walked three more.

Strausborger led ISU at the plate on Sunday, going 3-6 at the dish with a pair of RBIs and runs scored. Ferrell also picked up a pair of RBIs and runs scored, to go along with a 2-4 effort.

Strausborger extended both of his streaks on Sunday, moving his hitting streak to 22 straight and his stolen base streak to 14 consecutive games.

The Sycamores and Salukis were scheduled to play a doubleheader on Sunday, but game two was cancelled following the completion of game one due to rain during the first game and in the forecast for the second.

Indiana State returns to Bob Warn Field for four of its next five games, playing at home on Tuesday against Southern Illinois Edwardsville, before hosting Missouri State over the weekend.