Life in the Valley

Cutts, Hayden Still Available as Sycamores Face Western Michigan Saturday

The road will be hard now for the Indiana State Sycamores, but it isn’t impossible.

The Sycamores fell to Illinois, 4-1, in the Lexington Regional on Friday evening, moving Indiana State to the loser’s bracket where it will play an elimination game Saturday afternoon against the Western Michigan Broncos, who fell, 10-8, to Kentucky earlier Friday.

Indiana State (42-14) lost a 2nd consecutive game for the first time in nearly 2 months, unable to put together much offense against the Fighting Illini. The Sycamores had just 3 hits, and the lone run came on a Randal Diaz homer in the 4th.

Illinois (35-19) starter Jack Crowder went 8 innings, giving up the 1 run and 3 hits with 0 walks and 5 strikeouts. Crowder improved to 7-2. Joseph Glassey pitched the 9th in 1-2-3 fashion on 14 pitches to earn his 9th save.

Indiana State went with Zach Davidson as the starter Friday, leaving both Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year Brennyn Cutts and Luke Hayden available for games later in the regional. Davidson had been on an insane run in his last 4 relief appearances and probably earned the right to get a starting look Friday. But over 4 innings, Illinois picked up 2 runs on 4 hits with 3 walks. Davidson struck out 3.

After Jacob Pruitt came in and worked 1 2/3 innings scoreless, the Fighting Illini got a pair of runs and 2 hits off Jared Spencer to take a 4-1 lead. Drake Westcott’s single drove in the 2 Illinois runs in the 3rd. Brody Harding singled in a run in the 8th, then Connor Milton scored on a passed ball in the 9th.

After Diaz’s homer led off the 4th and brought Indiana State to within 2-1, the Sycamores had a chance to draw level. With 1 out, Luis Hernandez doubled, then with 2 outs, he moved to 3rd on a wild pitch. But Adam Pottinger fouled out to end the threat. No other Sycamores reached base until the 8th when with 2 outs Grant Magill singled, but he was stranded at 1st.

Indiana State went 1-2-3 in the 9th and that was the game. The 1 run was Indiana State’s lowest output since a 5-1 loss at Southern Miss on March 1. Indiana State has scored at least 1 run in 136 straight games.

Looking ahead from a pitching standpoint, if there was a team with the depth to come through the loser’s bracket, Indiana State would be that team. A win over Western Michigan Saturday would land the Sycamores into Sunday’s early game against the loser from Saturday’s Kentucky-Illinois game. The Sycamores are 1-2 against Illinois this season, winning the meeting in Terre Haute before the Fighting Illinois scored a 21-11 victory in Champaign later in the season. Kentucky, the 1-seed in the regional and for a time thought to perhaps be the #1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, surged to a big lead vs. Western Michigan Friday before holding off a Broncos rally in a 10-8 win.

But with Cutts and Hayden still possible to start, and with bullpen arms such as Cam Edmonson and Cameron Holycross fresh, and Simon Gregersen only pitching an inning Friday, Indiana State has a lot more options than many teams would in this situation at other regionals. However, Indiana State must now win 4 games in 3 days potentially to advance to Super Regionals for the 2nd straight season.

Western Michigan pitched by committee on Friday, using 5 pitchers but none for more than 2 innings. Top starter Nolan Vicek (5-3, 4.15, 90 Ks) didn’t pitch Friday and figures to be Western’s starter on Saturday. Joe Shapiro (5-0 in 20 appearances) pitched 2 innings, but top receiver Luke Thelen did not work Friday. Thelen is 1-2 with a 3.79 ERA in 40 1/3 innings and 54 strikeouts.

But, it’s an elimination game, and no matter who Indiana State starts against Vicek, it’s going to be all hands on deck for both teams to try and survive and advance.

Lexington Regional – Game 2
ILL 4 6 0 (35-19)
ISU 1 3 0 (42-14)
W: Crowder (7-2)
L: Davidson (5-2)
S: Glassey (9)
HR: Diaz, ISU (17).