DAMICO PITCHES SYCAMORES TO SPLIT WITH BALL STATE

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State rested its ace pitcher for the better part of two non-conference contests against Ball State and salvaged a split in nightcap as the Sycamores won the second game by a score of 4-2 after falling 3-0 in the day’s first game. ISU improves to 19-22 while the Cardinals dropped to 12-20.

Sophomore Darcy Wood only saw one inning of work on the day and it came in the top of the seventh of game two. She allowed just one Cardinal hit and struck out a batter to earn her first save of the season. The bulk of the day’s pitching duties fell to junior Julie Damico was tossed six innings with four strikeouts and two runs allowed in the nightcap. Following a loss in game one, Damico’s record stands at 2-4 on the season.

ISU could get nothing going offensively in game one, but pounded out six hits in the second contest. Freshman Meredith Simpson was key by going 1-of-4 at the plate in the Sycamore victory with a pair of RBIs. Seniors Ashley Trover and Alyssa Duncan drove in the other two ISU runs.

Indiana State jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second, when Simpson scratched out a hit up the middle to plate Christina Meyers and Duncan. After Ball State scored a run in the top of third, to cut the cushion down to 2-1, ISU got that run back in the bottom of the frame on a single by Duncan which scored Lauren Kebely.

After the lead was cut again to 3-2, the Sycamores’ Trover ended all doubt of the outcome of the game when she belted a towering homerun to right field for the 4-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth. Damico tossed one more inning, and then Wood posted the shutout for her first save of the season.

In the day’s first game, Damico went the full seven innings, allowing eight hits and three runs, but Ball State starter Amanda Pick also pitched a complete game and held ISU to just six hits in her shutout victory. She struck out three Sycamore batters in the contest.

The Cardinals broke open a scoreless game in the top of the fifth, with a single run then took the 3-0 advantage on a long homer to leftfield off the bat of Katie Pilger. It was Pilger’s first roundtripper of the season. That gave BSU the 3-0 lead, and the Sycamores could not scratch out any runs over the final two innings in falling to the Cardinals.

Indiana State returns to Missouri Valley Conference play on Saturday, April 22 when they host Northern Iowa for an important three-game series. There will be a doubleheader on Saturday and a single-game on Sunday. First pitch is set for Noon (EDT).

GAME ONE BOX SCORE

GAME TWO BOX SCORE