March 2, 2019

By Tim McCaughan

Indiana State Athletics

Sycamores Walk Off Austin Peay in the 10th to Clinch Series Win; Improve to 9-1

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Indiana State’s CJ Huntley drove in the game-winning run Saturday afternoon at Bob Warn Field as the Sycamores walked off Austin Peay with a 3-2 win in 10 innings to claim the series.

On what was a cold and windy day at the ballpark, offense was at a premium and pitching was stout. It wasn’t until the seventh inning that a run would cross the plate, and those runs would come at the hands of Austin Peay (3-6) as the Governors collected four of their seven total base hits in the inning.

Austin Peay used three consecutive base hits to open the frame, including two infield singles -- the first off the glove of second baseman Jarrod Watkins on a ball hit sharply up the middle and the second off the bare hand of Sycamore pitcher Jake Ridgway.

The Govs scored their first run off the bat of Andrew Flaherty, who singled to the mound and the second on sacrifice bunt down the first base line before Ridgway was able to settle in and retire Malcolm Tipler with a strikeout to limit the damage.

Indiana State (9-1) answered back in the bottom of the eighth inning with two runs to tie the game. Pinch hitter Jordan Schaffer opened the inning with a single up the middle before Jake Means singled to left on a hard-hit liner past the APSU third baseman, Max Remy.

Hunter Lewis would deliver the first run of the day for the Sycamores as he singled in Schaffer with a single to center field on an 0-2 count. Indiana State again went to its bench for another clutch at bat as Romero Harris singled in the tying run with a base knock to left field to score Means.

Senior right-hander Tyler Ward tossed two innings out of the bullpen for the Sycamores en route to the victory. Ward recorded a trio of strikeouts and did not allow a base hit in his outing as he moved to 1-0 on the season.

A late inning substitution allowed Brandt Nowaskie to leadoff the tenth inning with a walk, before the redshirt junior was able to move into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt off the bat of Jarrod Watkins. A Kalamazoo, Michigan native, Huntley took the second pitch he saw from Austin Peay’s Sebastian Martinez into left field to score Nowaskie and record his first collegiate walk off hit.

Right-hander Collin Liberatore was superb on the mound for the Sycamores, going six complete innings and allowing just a pair of hits to the Govs. He struck out five and walked only one in the no decision.

Junior catcher Max Wright (Toronto, Ont.) was the lone Sycamore to record multiple hits in the game after finishing 2-for-4 with the lone extra-base hit in the game -- a double to leadoff the ninth.

Martinez was tagged with the loss after allowing the run to score in the ninth, falling to 0-1 on the season. Austin Peay starting pitcher Jacques Pucheu was strong for the visitors, going seven complete and allowing just two base hits while striking out nine.

Indiana State baseball’s series finale scheduled for Sunday, March 3 with Austin Peay was postponed due to inclement weather forecasted in the area.

The Sycamores will look to get back on the field Tuesday, March 5 when they are set to travel to Bloomington for a matchup with the Hoosiers.