THE LEAD
No. 9 Dallas Baptist dropped their first game of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, falling 2-0 to Indiana State on Wednesday at Eck Stadium in Wichita, Kansas.  Facing Sycamores' starter, Jeff Degano, the Patriots fanned nine times and managed only three hits off the Indiana State lefty.  With the loss, DBU (41-12) suffered their first shutout since March 18, 2014, when the Patriots were blanked at Texas. 
 
DBU starter, Joseph Shaw, was sharp on the mound as well, as the junior right-hander allowed just two runs, while matching a career-high with nine strikeouts.  Shaw's only blemishes came when Indiana State (28-24) notched a run in the third and one more in the fifth to open up a 2-0 lead for Jeff Degano.

Scoreless into the top of the third, a one-out double by Landon Curry into right centerfield put Indiana State on the board first.  The double was part of a 3-for-3 day at the plate for the Sycamores' lead-off man and put ISU on top 1-0.
 
Facing a bases loaded situation with one out in the top of the fifth, Jacob Hayes hit a soft tapper left of the diamond where DBU third baseman, Nash Knight, fielded the ball, but did not have a play and a run came in to score.  Following the infield single, Shaw worked out of the jam by getting Andy Young to ground into a double play.
 
Trailing 2-0 into the bottom of the eighth, a stretch of 15 consecutive outs recorded by Degano came to a halt when Trooper Reynolds ripped his second double of the day.  An infield single by Chance Lynch pushed Reynolds to third and put the tying run on base, before Drew Turbin struck out to end the inning.
 
The Patriots would threaten one more time in the ninth inning.  After a lead-off walk by Daniel Sweet prompted Degano's exit from the game, Indiana State closer, Austin Conway plunked Tagg Duce with two outs.  Facing Daniel Satlers with runners at first and second, Conway induced a ground ball to the right side of the infield to close out the game.
 
With the loss, DBU falls to the losers bracket and will face Evansville on Wednesday morning at 9:00 am.
 
DBU HEAD COACH, DAN HEEFNER – ON FACING JEFF DEGANO TODAY
"He's one of the best guys in our league and one of the best pitchers we've seen this year.  I thought he really located well and commanded his fastball.  His breaking ball is a also plus-pitch and he showed today that he can thrown it for a strike when he wants to."
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
2 – Two of DBU's three hits today were doubles by Trooper Reynolds.
11 – Joseph Shaw and Chance Adams combined to strike out 11 Sycamore batters.
0 – The Patriots first seven batters in the lineup were held hitless today.
 
UP NEXT FOR THE PATRIOTS
DBU will face Evansville on Thursday morning at 9:00 am in an elimination game.  The winner will face the loser of Bradley and Indiana State's game.