June 5, 2021

By Tim McCaughan

Indiana State Athletics

NASHVILLE – Zach Frey pitched a complete game gem as he helped No. 3 seed Indiana State stave off elimination as the Sycamores defeated Presbyterian 9-2 Saturday in the NCAA Nashville Regional at Hawkins Field.

Entering the elimination game, Frey held career highs in strikeouts and innings pitched from Indiana State’s 2019 NCAA run against Vanderbilt when the right-hander pitched five innings and struck out five Commodores.

Frey (1-1) destroyed those career highs against Presbyterian, pitching the complete game while retiring 10 Blue Hose batters on punch outs. The Bloomington, Ill., native tied his high for strikeouts through the first four innings and continued to pound the zone late. Frey threw 118 pitches in the game and went on to record strikeouts in each of the final five innings, including two punch outs in the eighth inning.

Frey was able to work ahead after the first inning as Indiana State (31-20) scored four runs on three hits while drawing a pair of walks. With the bases loaded and no outs, Miguel Rivera hit his team-leading 12th double of the year to plate two runs and give the Sycamores the lead. After a pitching change, Grant Magill drew a walk to load the bases before the third run of the day scored on a wild pitch. Seven-hole hitter Josue Urdaneta capped off the inning by bringing home the fourth run on a sacrifice fly to center.

Rivera continued to swing a hot bat in the second -- in the same bases loaded situation -- as he ripped a ball to right field to drive in his third and fourth runs of the day and extend the Indiana State lead to 6-0.

Presbyterian (22-23) put up its first run of the game in the fourth inning of action. After Brody Fahr worked the first walk of the game for PC, Eric Toth hammered a ball over the wall in left field to cut the Indiana State lead.

Indiana State was able to get a run back in the fourth when Jordan Schaffer led off the inning with a double to the gap in left. Senior Max Wright (Toronto, Ont.) collected his team-best 41st RBI of the year as he singled home Schaffer with a ball to right field.

Frey was able to work out of a jam in the fifth inning as the Blue Hose put two runners on base following a walk and a single. A slow grounder to first base moved both runners into scoring position before Frey was able to get a fly ball to right field to end the threat.

Rivera tied his career-high with five RBIs as he recorded a sacrifice fly in the sixth. Magill added another run in the eighth.

Nine of Indiana State’s 11 hits came from the top four in the order. Schaffer and Hanna each recorded three base hits while scoring each time they reached. Wright was 1-for-2 with three walks while River was 2-for-4 with five RBIs and a run scored.

Brandon Williams (2-2) took the loss for the Blue Hose after allowing four runs on three hits while not recording an out. Chris Veach struck out three and allowed four hits over three innings of relief.

Toth led PC at the plate with two of the teams’ five base hits, including the two-run homer in the fourth.

UP NEXT

Indiana State will faceoff against either Vanderbilt or Georgia Tech in an elimination game Sunday at 2 p.m. C.T./3 p.m. E.T. at Hawkins Field. If the Sycamores are victorious in that game, the team will play again at 8 p.m. C.T./9 p.m. E.T. Sunday night against the winner of Saturday’s nightcap.