THE LEAD
Shaky control for DBU pitching led to Indiana State taking the first game on Championship Saturday at the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in Normal, Illinois. The Patriots (41-17) walked a season-high 10 batters compared to just three strikeouts in a 9-5 loss.
The Patriots struck the first blows of the game with
Jimmy Glowenke's sac fly in the first inning and
Evan Sandmann's solo home run that rode the central Illinois breeze over the left field fence. The Sycamores (40-16) tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the second, but
Blayne Jones' two-run homer put DBU back on top in the third.
Indiana State regained the lead with a sac fly and an RBI groundout in the sixth.
Andres Sosa's solo homer in the seventh cut the Sycamore lead to 6-5, but a three-run home run from Chris Ayers sealed the win for Indiana State.
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- DBU and Indiana State will play again for the tournament title this evening.
- Sosa' homer was his second of the tournament.
- Jones collected his first extra-base hits since May 10 against Indiana State, when he also hit a double and a homer.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
0.30 - The Patriots' 0.30 strikeout-to-walk ratio was their worst of the year.
5 - DBU walked five leadoff hitters.
UP NEXT
DBU and Indiana State will play at 6:17 pm.
