EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - The Indiana State
baseball team moved to 10-1 this season in midweek action, sweeping the season
series with SIU Edwardsville following a 5-1 victory at Roy E. Lee Field in Edwardsville,
Ill., on Wednesday.
Indiana State (37-12) took a lead in the first inning, taking advantage of five
walks from SIU Edwardsville starting pitcher Drew Staples. Staples walked four
straight with two outs, as junior Jeremy Lucas scored on senior Ryan Walterhouse's walk to put ISU in front 1-0.
SIUE (24-25) tied the game with a two-out rally in the fifth inning, as Zach
Hawkins brought home Joel Greatting with a single to left.
The Sycamores broke through in the seventh inning, plating four runs on five
hits. Sophomore Tyler Wampler led off the inning with a single into shallow
left-center field, heading around the horn to third as freshman Landon Curry's sacrifice
bunt was thrown wide of the bag at first base and moving Curry into scoring
position. Lucas drew a one-out walk to load the bases and force a SIUE pitching
change with junior Rob Ort at the plate. ISU went up 4-1 on the first delivery
from SIUE reliever Brian Lorenz, as Ort hit a bases-clearing, three-run double
off the right-center field wall on the first pitch of his at-bat. Senior Jon Hedges gave ISU a 5-1 lead when he came up next, bringing home Ort with a single
into the gap between first and second base off the diving glove of the SIUE
second baseman.
Indiana State tied the program record for hit by pitches in a single season on
Wednesday, getting hit by three pitches in the game. ISU has totaled 95 for the
season, sitting even with the 2008 team. The Sycamores entered the week ranking
third in the nation in hit by pitches.
Freshman Kyle Rupe started the game for ISU, allowing one run on six hits over
4.2 innings. Redshirt freshman Tyler Pazik (2-0) earned the victory, working
2.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen with two strikeouts. Junior Devin Moore and senior Reggie Hochstedler closed out the final two innings of the
game. ISU's trio of relievers combined to strike out five batters without
allowing a hit in 4.1 innings on the mound.
Ort led ISU at the plate, picking up two hits and three RBIs. Hedges also
tallied a pair of hits and drove in one run. Lucas scored a pair of runs, pushing
his MVC-leading total to 47 on the season.
Indiana State remains on the road this weekend, traveling to Carbondale, Ill.,
for a three-game set with the Southern Illinois Salukis beginning this Friday.
