April 6, 2008

Final Stats

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -

            The University of Northern Iowa baseball team earned the series win at Indiana State after claiming a 6-2 win over the Sycamores Sunday afternoon at Sycamore Field.

Taylor Sinclair (3-1) gave up two runs on six hits through 7.0 innings to earn the win. Cory Ege was 3-of-3 with two runs scored for the Panthers. Dane Embury was 1-of-4 with a three-run home run, his fifth of the season. Joe Gonzalez pitched 1.1 hitless innings to earn the save.

In the top of the second, Eddie Almonte reached on an error and Cory Ege followed with a line-drive single into right. Dane Embury hit a two-out home run over the left field wall to give the Panthers (16-10, 5-1) an early 3-0 lead.

            Neither team scored until the bottom of the fifth. Indiana State (8-17, 4-5) put its first two batters on base, and they advanced on a sacrifice bunt from Brian Jett. Sean Osborne singled up the middle to score both runners and cut the Panther lead to 3-2. Ryan Strausborger followed with another single up the middle to give ISU runners on first and second with one out, but Sinclair was able to get the next two batters to ground out to end the inning.

            The Sycamores threatened to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth. Nick Ciolli reached on a fielder's choice and was able to steal second. David Brumagin hit a single into shallow left, and Ciolli tried to score from second but was gunned down on a throw from Embury to Almonte.

            Ege hit a one-out single in the top of the seventh, and Levi Ferguson followed with a double down the left field line to give the Panthers runners at second and third with one out. ISU intentionally walked Embury, and Travis Hendrix was hit by a pitch to send Ege home. Brandon Douglas hit a single into center that scored Ferguson and put the Panthers in front 5-3 with the bases loaded and one out. Embury added an insurance run when he scored on a wild pitch, bringing the score to 6-3 in favor of UNI. ISU recorded a pair of strike outs to end the inning.

            In the bottom of the seventh, Osborne hit a one-out triple to give the Sycamores a runner in scoring position. Sinclair walked Strausborger, but Pascual Del Real hit into a double play to end the ISU threat.

            Indiana State brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the eighth when the Sycamores used two singles and a walk to load the bases. Joe Gonzalez entered the game and struck out Brian Jett to end the inning.

            Gonzalez retired the Sycamores in order in the bottom of the ninth to earn the save for UNI.

            UNI collected seven hits in the win and took advantage of ISU's five walks and three errors.

            The Panthers return to action on Wednesday when they play at Minnesota at 3 p.m.