Canucks Tofteland, Wright help lead Indiana State to win
Okotoks Dawgs Academy alum Dane Tofteland (Grande Prairie, Alta.) had two hits for the Indiana State Sycamores on Saturday. Photo: Indiana State Athletics (file photo)
May 4, 2019
By Tim McCaughan
Indiana State Sycamores Athletics
Sycamores Even Series with Illinois State with 13-1 Road Win
NORMAL, Ill. -- Every player in the starting lineup scored a run Saturday afternoon at Duffy Bass Field as the Indiana State baseball team defeated Illinois State, 13-1 to even the weekend series. ISU outhit the Redbirds 16-7 in the game and scored four runs in three separate innings en route to the victory.
Indiana State (33-11, 10-4 MVC) was led at the plate by Clay Dungan and Jake Means as the duo each drove in three runs on five combined hits. Dungan finished his day 3-for-5 with a home run and two runs scored and Means went for two hits, including a double while scoring a run. Jarrod Watkins went 4-for-6 at the plate with a pair of doubles, a run scored and one RBI.
The Sycamores also took advantage of four hit-by-pitches and two walks in the ballgame.
Not to be outdone, Collin Liberatore (9-0) put together another phenomenal outing on the mound. Liberatore went for at least seven innings for the eighth time this season as he cruised to the victory behind an offensive outburst. The right-hander retired Illinois State in order in four different innings and retired at least seven batters in-a-row on two separate occasions.
In total, Illinois State (28-19, 10-4 MVC) was able to spray just five hits against Liberatore over the course of eight innings as he shut down the Redbirds much of the day. The Greensburg, Pennsylvania native struck out eight and issued just two walks on the day.
Indiana State jumped out to a lead in the second inning when Means drove in Dane Tofteland (Grande Prairie, Alta.) with a double to center. The Sycamores would extend their lead in the third with a four-spot after sending 10 batters to the plate. Dungan went for his team-best seventh home run of the season to leadoff the inning. Max Wright (Toronto, Ont.) drove in two more runs with a single before Means lined a ball up the middle to plate Wright.
ISU added four more runs in the fifth to extend the lead to 9-0. After Tofteland led off the inning with a single, the Sycamores executed the hit-and-run to perfection to setup runners on the corners when Roby Enriquez singled through the right side. Means drove in the sixth run of the day on a sacrifice fly to center before CJ Huntley doubled to the gap in right to score Enriquez from first. Dungan traded places with Huntley a batter later after doubling down the line in right. Harris capped off the inning with a single up the middle.
With the bases loaded in the ninth, Huntley, Dungan and Watkins each tallied hits to bring in three more runs as the Sycamores moved station-to-station. Pinch hitter Spencer Wiskus added the 13th run of the day with a single up the middle. The rest was academic.
Jeff Lindgren (4-4) took the loss for the Redbirds after allowing four earned runs in two and two-third innings. ILS used six arms during the game which allowed eight earned runs and getting six total strikeouts.
Gunner Peterson was the lone Redbird to record multiple hits after going 2-for-4 with two strikeouts.
The Sycamores stranded 10 runners while Illinois State left seven on base, including the bases loaded in the fourth inning.