Published: May 07, 2008 12:13 am            

ISU baseball rebounds from rough weekend

TERRE HAUTE — It was by no means a perfect effort, but after a lost weekend, the Indiana State baseball team re-discovered what it was like to walk off the field on a positive instead of a dejected note.

After Missouri State scored 51 runs in three games over the weekend, ISU was able to do just enough on the mound to give itself an 11-6 win over Eastern Illinois on Tuesday.

“The game is supposed to be fun, that’s why everyone plays it, and when you’re not winning, it’s not a lot of fun. To have some guys do some things — like Brian Jett and Brian Oliver — it’s a good feeling for us,” ISU coach Lindsay Meggs said.

ISU’s pitching didn’t make a full recovery — the Sycamores collectively allowed 16 Panther hits, six were extra-base hits — but they never broke. More encouraging for the Sycamores (14-29) was that they only walked one batter.

ISU reliever Brian Oliver was instrumental in the winning effort. He pitched six innings of relief. He scattered 12 hits and allowed four runs, but also got out of jams in the third, fourth, sixth and seventh innings with the Panthers administering minimal damage.

“It means a lot to help the team. We’ve had a lot of pitchers throw a ton in some bad situations and some unfortunate outings. It was nice to give them a break and let our offense kick in and do what they’ve done all year,” Oliver said.

ISU scored two in the first. Brian Ramirez scored after a one-out triple and Dave Brumagin knocked in Brady Shoemaker with a RBI single to make it 2-0.

ISU starter Michael Manus pitched two shutout innings before giving way to reliever Brian Oliver. EIU scored a run in the third and fourth to tie the game, but there would be no collapse on the mound as there was against Missouri State during ISU's last weekend series. It helped that EIU ran itself out of the fourth with a failed two-out suicide squeeze.

After retiring EIU 1-2-3 in the fifth, ISU's offense went to work. Shoemaker and Nick Ciolli were on board when Brian Jett hit a triple to right, putting ISU up 4-2.

ISU increased its lead in the sixth, scoring four two-out runs. Ciolli drew a bases-loaded walk and Brumagin hit a two-run single. After EIU's relay throw went home, Brumagin tried to take second base. EIU catcher Bart Thyer's throw sailed into center field and Ciolli strolled in to score from first to make it 8-2.

EIU halved ISU's lead in the eighth, but Jett gave the Sycamores insurance runs in the ninth with a two-out, three-run home run to right. Jett was 2-for-4 with a triple, home run and five RBIs for the Sycamores. The Panthers hit back-to-back homers in the ninth, but it wasn’t enough.

Weather permitting, ISU plays host to Purdue tonight. The Boilermakers (26-20) are currently second in the Big Ten.



ISU 11, Eastern Illinois 6

EIU ab r h bi ISU ab r h bi

Restko lf 4 0 1 0 Strsbrger 2b 5 1 3 0 Tokarz 2b 5 0 3 1 Ramirez 3b 5 2 2 0

Skidmore 3b 5 1 1 1 Schmidt cf 4 1 2 1

Facer 1b 5 1 2 1 Shoemaker lf 2 4 0 0

Derbak p-dh 4 0 0 0 Ciolli rf 3 2 1 1

Kreke ss 5 2 4 0 Brumagin 3b 5 0 2 4

Lindquist cf 5 1 3 2 Jett 1b 4 1 2 5

Strang rf 1 0 0 0 Del Real ss 5 0 0 0

Gee ph 1 0 0 0 Osborne c 2 0 0 0

Estand rf 0 0 0 0 Lafrenz ph-c 1 0 1 0

Nmensen ph 1 0 0 0

Thyer c 4 1 2 1

Totals 40 6 16 6 Totals 36 11 13 11

Eastern Illinois 001 100 022 — 6

Indiana State 200 024 03X — 11

E — Derbak (6), Kreke (19), Thyer (2). DP — EIU 1. LOB — EIU 10, ISU 9. 2B — Kreke (12), Lindquist 2 (7). 3B — Tokarz (2); Ramirez (2), Jett (2). HR — Skidmore (4), Facer (5); Jett (3). S — Restko (7), Strang (5), Schmidt (9). SB — Schmidt 3 (19), Shoemaker 2 (2), Jett (5). CS — Lindquist (3).



IP H R ER BB SO

Eastern Illinois

Derbak (L, 1-3) 42/3 7 4 4 3 2

Brandon 21/3 4 4 0 2 2

Foley 0+ 1 2 2 1 0

Jeske 1 1 1 1 0 1

Indiana State

Manus 2 2 0 0 0 3

Oliver (W, 1-3) 6 12 4 4 0 3

Smith 1/3 2 2 2 0 0

Inman 2/3 0 0 0 1 0

WP — Derbak. HBP — by Derbak (Jett, Osborne) . PB — Lafrenz (4). T — 3:21. A — 111.

Next — Indiana State (14-29) will play host to Purdue tonight.

        

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