May 9, 2007
Baseball
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SYCAMORES DOWN PURDUE, EARN FOURTH BIG TEN VICTORY OF THE SEASON IN AS MANY TRIES

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – For the fourth time this season, the Indiana State Sycamores faced off against a member of the Big Ten, and for the fourth time ISU came away with a victory as they downed Purdue, 12-7, on a sun-drenched day at Lambert Field. ISU improves to 23-23 on the season while the Boilermakers fall to 19-25.

Indiana State drew first blood against the Boilermakers when Ryan Bond built on his 3-for-3 effort on Tuesday evening against Ball State with a first inning triple against the Boilermakers. Bond came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Chris Schmidt for the quick 1-0 lead.

ISU starter Matt Shelton walked the leadoff batter, Spencer Ingaldson but then struck out the side to preserve the early 1-0 advantage.

The Sycamores did some more damage in the second inning as well as they loaded the bases after Sean Osborne was hit by a pitch for a team-leading 22^nd time this season. Ryan Strausborger took a 1-0 pitch from Purdue pitcher Andy Loomis back up the middle to score Brett Siegmund as well as Nick Ciolli for the 3-0 lead. Earlier in the frame, Siegmund doubled down the left field line.

ISU’s lead grew to 4-0 in the fourth when Dave Brumagin roped a double to left field and came around to score on a two-out RBI single by Martin.

Purdue would knot the score at four runs each in the fourth when the Boilermakers chased Shelton from the game. With ISU leading 4-2, relief pitcher Ryan Tatusko came on and gave up a two RBI single to Jeff Mojzik which evened the score at four runs each.

The game did not remain did tied for long as the Sycamores scratched together a run in the top of the fifth. Chris Schmidt belted a one-out double to left field and he moved over the third base when Dave Brumagin reached on an error by the Boilermaker shortstop. Schmidt then scored when Nick Ciolli hit a slow roller to first to give the Sycamores a 5-4 advantage.

Purdue turned the battle in somewhat of a see-saw affair in the fifth when the Boilermakers plated a pair of runs on a double by Jon Moore against Ryan Tatusko. The two RBI double gave the Boilermakers a 6-5 lead.

The Boilermaker advantage grew to 7-5 in the bottom of the sixth against Josh Varno on a sacrifice fly by Jeff Mojzik which drove in Alex Jafee.

In the top of the seventh, Ryan Bond led off the frame with a single through the right side and moved to second on a walk by Chris Schmidt. Dave Brumagin laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move the runners over to second and third with just one out. Bond made it 7-6 on a wild pitch by Boiler pitcher Conner Sestak.

With runners at the corners and still one out, Casey Martin faced Dan Sattler in one of the game’s first key moments. Martin eventually won the battle thanks to a high hop that was mishandled by Boilermaker shortstop John Cummins. With Martin reaching on the error, Schmidt scored to tie the game at seven.

That brought Siegmund to the plate with one out and runners at the corners. Sestak struck Siegmund out, and then his first pitch to Josh Abercrombie was wild which allowed Ciolli to cross the plate and give the Sycamores an 8-7 lead. Abercrombie then got his hack in with a triple to right center to score Martin, and with a four-run seventh inning, the Sycamores led 9-7.

Shelton took a no-decision in the game, going 3.2 innings, allowing five hits, four runs and walking four. He recorded all three of his strikeouts in the first inning. Tatusko went 1.1 innings, allowing three hits and two runs while walking one.

Josh Varno earned the victory to improve to 3-1 on the season. He pitched 2.0 innings, allowing one hit and an earned run.

Adam Lindsay allowed the bases to get loaded in the eighth, but he struck out Drew Madia with two outs to end the threat and preserve the 9-7 lead. In the eighth, Lindsay allowed a pair of hits and a walk but also recorded the key strikeout. He added a no-hit ninth to earn his team-best sixth save of the year.

The Sycamores added an insurance run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Sean Osborne which scored Siegmund to give Indiana State a 10-7 lead. A two-run, two RBI triple by Bond followed a Strausborger walk to put the Sycamores in front 12-7. Bond finished the day 3-of-5 at the plate with a pair of triples and well as a pair of runs scored and a pair of RBI.

Siegmund and Abercrombie each finished the day with two hits, while all of the other Sycamore starters finished the day with one hit. Each of the nine Sycamore starters in the lineup recorded at least one base hit on the day as Indiana State followed up its 15 hit effort against Ball State with a 13 hit showing versus the Boilermakers.

Each of the first combined 12 runs in the game were scored with two outs on the scoreboard. For the game, only one of the 19 combined runs scored in the game was not scored with two outs.

The Sycamores own a perfect 4-0 mark against the Big Ten with today’s 12-7 victory over Purdue. ISU also won at Illinois and Indiana in addition to owning a home victory over the Hoosiers. Amazingly, three of the Sycamores’ four Big Ten victories occurred on the road.

Indiana State returns to action on Friday, May 11 when they travel to Missouri State for the first of a three-game Missouri Valley Conference series against the Bears. First pitch at Hammons Field is set for 1:00 p.m. (ET).

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