March 31, 2007
Baseball
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

INDIANA STATE RESPONDS BY COMING BACK TO DOWN VALPO IN GAME TWO, 17-5

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Indiana State pounded out 17 hits and scored 17 runs as the Sycamores downed Valparaiso 17-5 in the day’s second game of a scheduled doubleheader at Sycamore Field. ISU improves to 12-12 while Valpo falls to 5-14.

Valparaiso scored a run in the top of the first, before the Sycamores stormed back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame as Chris Schmidt tripled to right center, which scored Josh Abercrombie. Schmidt moved on around to score on a wild throw that missed the cut off man to make it 2-1.

ISU opened the second with runners at second and third and loaded them up with a walk to Ryan Bond with two outs. Abercrombie singled up the middle to score Strack and Siegmund to give the Sycamores a 4-1 advantage.

After Valpo made it 4-2 in the top of the third, the Sycamores scored five in the bottom half to give Indiana State the 9-2 lead. Sean Osborne walked with the bases full while Ryan Strausborger grounded into a fielder’s choice to plate another. The Sycamores plated three more on a double by Abercrombie for the 9-2 advantage.

In the bottom of the fourth, Strack walked to score a run and Osborne posted a sacrifice fly to score Brumagin to make it 11-4.

Abercrombie tripled to lead off the fifth and scored on a sacrifice fly by Casey Martin to make the score 13-4. The lead became 14-4 on a double by Siegmund which scored Brumagin.

Strausborger added a two RBI double in the seventh, while Bond posted an RBI single to make the score 17-4 after seven innings.

Valpo added a run in the top of the eighth to make the score 17-5.

Freshman Skyler Pearson tossed the first complete game of his career to improve to 2-0 on the season. Pearson tossed the full nine innings, allowing 10 hits and five runs, four of which were earned.

Offensively, Schmidt went 4-for-6 in the game, scoring a run and driving in another. Abercrombie finished a home run shy of the cycle, going 3-for-6 (a single, double and triple) with five runs batted in and a pair of runs. Strack finished 3-for-3 with an RBI and a pair of runs scored.

Five Sycamores were hit by a pitch in the game, which ties the school record for the third time this season (vs. Indiana and Kent State).

The fourth and final game of the series will be on Sunday, April 1 at 1:00 p.m. (ET). This is a time change from earlier published schedules.

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