March 19, 2019

By Tim McCaughan

Indiana State Athletics

Hoosiers Edge Indiana State in Slugfest, 15-14

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Indiana State baseball’s nine-game win streak came to a close Tuesday afternoon at Bob Warn Field as Indiana used a ninth-inning home run to take the contest, 15-14. With the loss, the Sycamores fell to 16-2 while Indiana moved to 12-8 on the year.

The midweek clash was a game that fans of offensive baseball could enjoy as the two teams combined for 27 base hits and 10 home runs -- five by each squad. Romero Harris and Clay Dungan each tallied a pair of home runs in the game while Max Wright (Toronto, Ont.) tied the game in the seventh with a two-run blast to right field.

Dungan finished a double short of a cycle, scoring all four times he reached base while Harris collected six RBI on three base hits.

Trailing 8-1 in the third inning, the Sycamores got the offense rolling after Dungan went yard the first time in the bottom of the inning followed by an RBI double from Roby Enriquez to score Jake Means who doubled prior. Harris capped off the four-run inning with his first home run of the day -- a two-run blast.

After Evan Giles sat Indiana down in order for the first time in the top of the fourth the Sycamore bats kept the offense rolling with a five-run inning. ISU took advantage of an Indiana fielding error for the first run before Enriquez singled in Chris Ayers to make it 8-7 in favor of the visitors.

Harris, a Navarre, Ohio native then drilled three-run home run to left field to give ISU its first lead of the day at 10-8.

Right-hander Tyler Ward pitched the fifth and sixth, retiring all six batters in order to keep the Hoosiers at bay. Dungan added another run in the ISU run column in the sixth when he sent a solo home run over the wall in center to push the lead to 11-8.

IU was able to collected three-straight singles in the seventh before Elijah Dunham hammered a grand slam off the top of the centerfield fence to help the Hoosiers regain the lead, 12-11. Indiana added another run on after a double from Cole Barr that scored Logan Kaletha from first.

Wright’s third home run of the season -- a two-run knock -- tied the game in the bottom of the seventh before IU once again jumped out in front on a solo home run from Drew Ashley in the eighth.

The Sycamores were able to answer back with an RBI single to left from Jake Means to once again tie the game in the bottom of the eighth.

IU’s Barr collected his second hit of the day in the ninth on Indiana’s fifth home run of the day which would ultimately be the game winner.

Six Sycamore pitchers saw action in the contest after starting pitcher Geremy Guerrero went just one and two-third innings. Austin Cross, Evan Giles, Tyler Ward Jake Ridgway and Tyler Grauer all took the mound for the Trees. Grauer (0-1) was charged with the loss after allowing the go-ahead run in two innings of action. The lefty struck out three while the lone base hit allowed was the home run to Barr.

Braden Scott (1-0) was credited with the victory for the Hoosiers after tossing one inning and allowing three hits. Matt Lloyd (Okotoks, Alta.) earned his third save of the season after closing out the game for IU.

The Sycamores return to the road this weekend as the team travels to Fort Myers, Florida for a three-game neutral site series with Rutgers at the City of Palms Park.