Indiana State designated hitter Brad Pierce hit a bases-loaded single down the right field line for the game-winning hit in the bottom of the 10th to propel the Sycamores to an 8-7 win over No. 4 seeded Illinois State. The win by the Sycamores eliminated the Redbirds from the Sprint Broadband Direct Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Championship.
The game, which was originally scheduled for a 3 p.m. start, did not begin until after a three hour and 15- minute inclement weather delay.
Indiana State (31-26) jumped out to a 6-0 lead after the first three innings of the game. The Sycamores' bottom of the order was responsible ISU's four-run second inning. Second baseman Caleb Reger, who came in later in the game as a relief pitcher and picked up the win, highlighted the frame with a one-out RBI double. The Sycamores also scored twice on errors in the inning by Illinois State starting pitcher Steve Hecker.
INS added two more runs in the bottom of the third on a home run by center fielder Jason Frome, his 16th of the season for a 6-0 Sycamore lead.
Illinois State (31-22) got on the board with back-to-back runs in the fourth inning on an RBI sacrifice fly by Redbird third baseman Lance McMillian and an RBI ground-rule double by shortstop Jeremy Accardo.
The Sycamores added a run in the bottom of the fourth, but also lost its starting left fielder Chad Zaucha. Zaucha dislocated his left shoulder as he slid headfirst into second on a stolen base attempt. Catcher Tommy Jeffers accounted for a two-out RBI double in the bottom of the fourth that gave INS a five-run cushion (7-2). Seven Sycamore players accounted for a pair of hits in the 17-hit attack, led by right fielder Kevin Egli who went 3-for-4 at the plate.
ILS battled back and tied the game in the top of the ninth. Center fielder Kevin O'Dell started the run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth followed by a two-run shot by Redbird designated hitter Mike Saunches later in the inning. Saunches' home run was his 13th of the season and the second in two games. He finished the night going 2-for-3.
Saunches was not the only ILS player to hit one out. Right fielder Jared Dufault added a solo shot, his eighth of the year, in the bottom of the seventh inning to bring the Redbirds within one (7-6). Dufault, who went 2-for-5, moved up to third place on the Redbirds' all-time hits list with 80 in a season, surpassing his mark of 79 set in 2000. In the ninth, with runners on the corners and one out, Saunches reached base on an RBI error by Sycamores second baseman Josh Owen to tie the game.
With the win, Indiana State moves on to play at noon tomorrow (May 18) against the winner of the Evansville/Northern Iowa game that will be played later tonight.
Postgame Quotes
Illinois State head coach Jeff Stewart:
"It's a tough way to play, an up-hill battle, down 6-0 right off the bat. The guys got at it pretty good, took some good cuts, scored a couple runs, kind of perked us up a little bit. There for awhile our guys were doing everything they could to get it done."
"Pitching and defense killed us yesterday, and unfortunately, really, it was the low point today."
"I can't fault anybody's effort, I just didn't like the outcome."
"They battled their butts off. I've got no complaints about our effort at all."Illinois State player Mike Saunches:
"We got eliminated and that's never a good thing. It makes it feel worse when you get down big early, then use all you've got to battle back."
"We battled as hard as we could, and it just didn't happen tonight."
Indiana State head coach Bob Warn:
"It was two different ball games. It was all ours for the first half, and they hung right with it and came in and took advantage."
"If you're going to be a tournament team, you have to get through the things we got through tonight."
Indiana State player Jason Frome:
"We got off to the early lead, we had a couple big hits early, but I knew we didn't put them away, though."
Indiana State winning pitcher Caleb Reger pitching and batting:
"It's really two different mindsets, and you've really got to separate the two. You can't take the emotions you get on the mound up to your at-bat."
