ISU baseball misses chances in 11-inning loss

Indiana State University

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April 15, 2012

ISU baseball misses chances in 11-inning loss

Loss knocks Sycamores from atop MVC

Todd Golden The Tribune-Star The Tribune Star Sun Apr 15, 2012, 05:00 AM EDT

Peoria, Ill. — Indiana State’s baseball team has had few missteps so far this season. That reflects in the Sycamores’ positive situational won-loss record in nearly every baseball situation imaginable.

ISU’s record in one-run games and extra innings is no exception. Entering Saturday’s game against Bradley, the Sycamores were 8-3 in one-run games and 4-1 in extra-inning games, including a victory Friday against the Braves.

But on Saturday, the Sycamores went one one-run and extra-inning game too far. Missed opportunities at the plate and mistakes by ISU in the field gave the Braves the window they needed to earn a 5-4 victory in 11 innings at Peoria’s O’Brien Field.

“We’ve had our fair share of games we’ve won in extra innings. Today we didn’t get it done,” said ISU catcher Jeremy Lucas, who was 2 for 3.

The loss knocked ISU (27-9, 7-4) out of first place in the Missouri Valley Conference after Missouri State (27-10, 6-2) swept Illinois State in a doubleheader in Springfield, Mo.

But more disquieting is the trend that the loss continues for ISU. It was the fourth game in the last five ISU has played that was decided by one run or in extra innings. While ISU has split those four games, it has had to rally to tie the game or take the lead in each of them.

ISU coach Rick Heller lamented the Sycamores’ flair for the dramatic. He’d prefer to have the Sycamores put a game away early.

“It’s real hard. It’s tough. You like the chance that you have to win them all, but guys have to step up and execute at key points. All of the games we’ve lost, it hasn’t been like we got beat by our opponent. We beat ourselves,” Heller said.

ISU beat itself with tiny little cuts. To wit, the Sycamores had a baserunner on in all 11 innings, but only scored in three of them. The most glaring instance came in the ninth inning when the Sycamores had the bases loaded with one out after taking the lead, but couldn’t score additional runs.

ISU stranded 14 runners overall.

“We wasted a really good outing by [ISU starting pitcher Sean] Manaea. He pitched well. Tip your hat to [Bradley starter Justin] Ziegler, he was good, but offensively we weren’t good again today. We had guys chasing and guys not getting the ball in play with runners in scoring position,” Heller said.

The inability to take advantage of its 11 base hits put ISU in a position where the few mistakes it made in the field were pounced on.

In the bottom of the ninth, Bradley (18-13-1, 4-4) was trying to stay alive after ISU had rallied to take a 4-3 lead. Derek Sprout drew a walk and pinch-hitter Jerrod Eigsti walked with one out.

With leadoff hitter Chris Gadinez up for Bradley, Lucas got crossed up on a pitch by Chris Machado, resulting in a passed ball that allowed both Braves runners to move into scoring position.

“Me and Simi [Machado] were mixed up on our signs. That’s inexcusable. That can’t happen in that situation. You just have to deal with things like that. We got through the inning, but we didn’t come out on top in the end,” Lucas said.

Gadinez was intentionally walked and Rob Elliott hit a sacrifice fly off Brandon Dorsett to left to tie the game 4-4 and force extra innings.

“My guys just didn’t back down. They had the same situation as last night [ISU won 5-4 in 11 innings on Friday] and kept grinding. Today the ball went our way,” Bradley coach Elvis Dominguez said.

Another window was opened by ISU for Bradley in the decisive 11th. Bob Schuch hit a one-out single off ISU reliever Reggie Hochstedler, but Hochstedler struck out Eigsti and got Gadinez to hit a potential inning-ending grounder to third.

However, ISU third baseman Ryan Walterhouse couldn’t cleanly handle the ball and Gadinez reached on an error. Elliott then hit an infield single to ISU shortstop Tyler Wampler, whose throw to second to force Eigsti was not in time.

With ISU faltering, Bradley’s Mike Tauchman delivered the death blow. He hit a single up the middle to score Schuch to end the game.

“As good as we’re playing at times, that stuff has to stop if we have a chance to win the league,” said Heller on the late-inning generosity by ISU.

Manaea struck out nine in seven innings for ISU, but ISU’s inability to consistently score runs negated his effort. ISU scored in the first on a Robby Ort double to lead 1-0. Bradley tied it in the third on a Schuch home run and took a 3-1 lead on a two-run double by Max Murphy in the sixth.

ISU rallied thanks to a two-run moonshot home run to right field by Ort in the eighth to tie the game. In the ninth, ISU seemed poised for another uplifting win. Kyle Burnam singled, Lucas was hit by a pitch and Ort delivered a single to center to score Burnam and put ISU up 4-3.

But one run was all ISU was able to get from the rally.

ISU has not lost a MVC series so far this season. It will get a chance to keep that streak alive as Ryan Torgerson (5-1, 2.64) takes the hill at 2 p.m. today to face Bradley’s Patrick Flanagan (1-0, 3.38) in the series finale.

Bradley 5, ISU 4, 11 innings

ISU    ab    r    h    bi    Bradley    ab    r    h    bi

Curry dh    4    0    1    0    Godinez 2b    5    1    1    0

Burnam lf    6    1    2    0    Elliott 3b    4    1    2    1

Lucas c    3    2    2    0    Tauchman lf    6    0    4    1

Ort rf    6    1    3    4    Partyka dh    4    0    1    0

Hedges 1b    5    0    0    0    Murphy cf    5    0    1    2

Kraemer 2b    6    0    1    0    Leblebijian ss    5    0    0    0

Wampler ss    5    0    0    0    Sprout c    3    0    0    0

Walterhouse 3b    4    0    2    0    Rodriguez pr    0    1    0    0

Hileman cf    4    0    0    0    Jarvis c    1    0    0    0

                    Schuch rf    5    2    3    1

                    Wasmond 1b    3    0    0    0

                    Eigsti ph    1    0    0    0

Totals    43    4    11    4    Totals    42    5    12    5

Indiana State    100    000    021    00    —    4

Bradley    001    002    001    01    —    5

Two outs when winning run scored.

E — Walterhouse (6), Godinez (6), Leblebijian (8). DP — Bradley 1. LOB — ISU 14, Bradley 8. 2B — Lucas (6), Ort (11), Partyka (8), Murphy (8). HR — Ort (5), Schuch (2). SH — Curry (3), Partyka (2). SF — Elliott (2).

    IP    H    R    ER    BB    SO

Indiana State

Manaea    7    9    3    3    1    9

Machado    1 1/3    0    1    1    3    2

Dorsett    1/3    0    0    0    0    0

Hochstedler (L, 3-1)    2    1    1    0    0    1

Kudrecki    0    2    0    0    0    0

Bradley

Ziegler    6 2/3    7    1    1    0    2

Koll    1/3    0    0    0    1    1

Adkins    1    1    2    2    1    1

Gifford (W, 4-0)    3    3    1    1    1    3

WP — Hochstedler (1), Koll (1). HBP — by Koll (Curry), by Adkins (Lucas), by Gifford 2 (Lucas 2). Bk — Manaea (3). PB — Lucas (2). T — 3:35. Att — 278.

Next — Indiana State (27-9, 7-4 in Missouri Valley Conference) and Bradley (18-13-1, 4-4) conclude their three-game series at 2 p.m. today.

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