May 29, 2021

By Tim McCaughan

Indiana State Athletics

CARBONDALE, Ill. – Indiana State baseball overcame a five-run deficit en route to a 9-7 victory over Southern Illinois Saturday in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship at Itchy Jones Stadium.

The win over the Salukis eliminated SIU from the tournament and setup a rematch with top-seed Dallas Baptist Sunday at 12 p.m. E.T. followed by a 4 p.m. first pitch if a second game is necessary in the double elimination postseason tournament.

Trailing 5-0 in the fourth inning, Grant Magill doubled to centre followed by Dominic Cusumano delivering his third home run of the season over the wall in centre to put the Sycamores on the board. The home run was in the middle of three-straight base hits for the Sycamores that eventually ended the day of SIU pitcher Mike Hansell.

Indiana State carried over the offensive momentum to the sixth inning where the Trees exploded for six runs to take their first lead of the day. Josue Urdaneta, Magill and Cusumano each reached base consecutively to setup the bases loaded with no outs for Sean Ross following a SIU pitching change.

Ross, a San Diego, Calif., native pulled ISU to within two runs with a single through the left side followed by an RBI single for Jordan Schaffer who battled throughout a nine-pitch at bat to single to right field.

Ellison Hanna II put the exclamation on the inning with a no-doubt grand slam to right field to put the Sycamores ahead 8-5.

Matt Jachec, who entered in the second inning was stellar for the Trees. The right-hander pitched three innings and allowed no runs while retiring three Salukis on strikeouts. Following the six-run outburst by the Sycamores in the top half of the sixth, the Hampshire, Ill., native found himself in a bases loaded and no outs situation.

In a game-changing moment, SIU’s JT Weber drove a ball up the middle but right at Jachec who was able to corral the ball between his arm and glove before turning to second to double up a runner

Tyler Grauer would enter from the bullpen and retire the final batter of the inning to hold SIU scoreless. The left-hander would finish the game and record his fourth save of the year while moving into sole possession of second all-time on the career saves list with 21. The Shawnee, Kan., product struck out three over 3 1/3 innings.

Designated hitter Max Wright (Toronto, Ont.) added an insurance run in the eighth as he hit his team-leading 16th home run of the season.

Eight different Sycamores recorded base hits in the game including two hit days from: Wright, Urdaneta, Magill and Ross.

Tristan Peters (Winkler, Man.) had two hits - including a home run - and three RBIs for the Salukis.

Tristan Weaver went just 2 2/3 innings in the start, allowing five earned runs for the Sycamores.

Bubba Hall took the loss after allowing the go-ahead runs in the sixth. Hansell threw 3 1/3 innings and allowed five hits and two runs in the start for SIU.

Game One - Dallas Baptist 10, Indiana State 1

Dallas Baptist’s Luke Eldred took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before Jordan Schaffer recorded the Sycamores’ lone hit of the game with a home run to centre field.

Jace Grady put the Patriots on top in the first inning with a two-out solo home run and the squad did not look back. The Pats increased its lead in the third as MVC Player of the Year Jackson Glenn belted a two-run home run to make it 3-0 which signaled the end of the day for ISU pitcher Javin Drake.

Will Buraconak gave the Sycamores 4 1/3 quality innings in relief but the Patriot offense was too much to overcome as DBU went for four home runs in the game, putting up seven runs in the final three innings of action.

Eldred improved to 4-0 on the season after going six complete innings and striking out a season high 11 batters. Peyton Sherlin and Ross Carver combined to complete the shutout.

Drake took the loss for the Trees, falling to 2-3 on the year. Jake Ridgway was forced to wear the ending as ISU looked to save pitching for its nightcap elimination game with Southern Illinois. DBU put up five hits, five runs over 2 1/3 innings on the right-hander.

Miguel Rivera was the only other bright spot in the batting order for the Sycamores as the junior tallied three of the team’s five drawn walks. Overall ISU went down on strikeouts 13 times and grounded into a pair of double plays.

Glenn recoded three base hits, including two home runs to drive in four runs to lead the Patriots.

UP NEXT

The Sycamores will play an elimination game Sunday at noon E.T. against DBU. If ISU wins the game, it will force a second game between the two squads for the tournament title and the MVC’s automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.