Feb. 23, 2005
Baseball
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SYCAMORES DROP SEASON-OPENER, 3-0

Box Score

MILLINGTON, Tenn. – Despite a solid effort from Sycamore starter Ryan Tatusko, the Indiana State offense could not generate any offense in the season opener as a three-run second inning proved to be the difference in a 3-0 loss to Notre Dame on Thursday afternoon at USA Stadium in Millington, Tenn.

"It was a very good college baseball game," said head coach Bob Warn. "Unfortunately Notre Dame was able to put their hits together and we could not.

Tatusko gave up only seven hits in seven innings of action, but four of them came in the decisive second inning. The Fighting Irish’s Tom Thorton and Kyle Weiland combined on a seven-hit shutout.

"Ryan threw well enough to win today," said Warn. "He got out of some jams and made some good pitches. They guessed right on a curve ball and hit it out of the park and that was the difference."

The Sycamores threatened in the first and the third inning, but two Notre Dame double-plays foiled the scoring chances. On the opposite end, the Fighting Irish were retired in order in four of the first five innings by Tatusko. The exception was the second inning when Steve Andres led off with a double and scored on a home run by Matt Bransfield. The final run came in on a two-out single by senior Cody Rizzo.

In the sixth the Irish put runners on first and third, but Bransfield’s drive to leftfield was caught on the warning track. ISU led off the eighth with a hit by Marcus Artner off of reliever Weiland, but UND’s third double-play of the game finished off any Sycamore scoring chances for the afternoon.

Artner was the only Sycamore with multiple hits as they managed just six singles in the game. Tatusko (0-1) gave up three runs on seven hits and posted three strikeouts. Both teams played well in the field with ISU making several diving catches and solid plays in the infield.

Thorton (1-0) went seven shutout innings giving up five hits, while striking out five and Weiland earned his first save of the season.

The Sycamores open up action in the Service Academies Classic on Friday when they face Navy (5-2-1) at 1 pm (CT) at USA Stadium.