# ISU vs Wichita State--MVC Tournament Game Four (5/26)--ISU Wins 7-6!



## bluepower

Can't say enough about the relief pitching this tournament. With a minor blip for Machado, they have done their jobs to a "T" and more.  As we look to today's game against Wichita State we have to ask where the magic rabbit is to pull out of the hat?  Will Blake Drake start, followed by Machado and Flora? 

*BULLETIN:*  Junior southpaw Brandon Flora (0-0, 2.70 ERA) will start the game for the Sycamores against WSU's left-hander Josh Smith (7-3, 3.12 ERA).


Here's the lowdown on Wichita State from GoSycamores.com:

Wichita State took two out of three games from Indiana State when teams met earlier this season in Wichita, Kan., on May 13-15. The Shockers won game one, 1-0, getting a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning to take the opening game of the series. The Sycamores came back on Saturday and returned the favor, shutting out the Shockers, 6-0, to even the series. Freshman Sean Manaea scattered five singles over seven innings, tying his career-high with nine strikeouts. In the rubber match, the Shockers scored four times in the fourth inning to secure the victory, grabbing the series with a 6-1 win on Sunday. At the plate, junior Jeff Miera went 4-for-7 (.571) over the final two games of the series, while sophomore Jeremy Lucas tallied a pair of doubles. ISU and WSU met on Wednesday night in the tournament, with the Shockers taking advantage of five Indiana State fielding errors to come away with a 7-3 victory.

The Shockers are relying on their pitching...getting just nine hits in the first two tournament games.  The Shockers will likely go with their number three starter, Josh Smith (7-3, 3.12) who pitched a shutout complete game last Saturday against Evansville.  In 72 innings, Smith has struck out 53 and walked just 23. He as opposing batting average of .258.  He is a control pitcher who hits his spots well.  He is well-rested and likely ready for the challenge.

Brandon Flora has been announced as the Sycamore starter.  Flora has been a short-relief guy all season, seldom seeing morethan an inning of work at a time.  In fact this season, Flora has had 20 appearances and has pitched just 13.1 innings. He has ten K's and has given up just three walks.  Opposing batters have a .300 average. (In conference play, Flora has been in just six games and has pitched just 4.1 innings.)  Heller mentioned Flora came in against Wichita State during the season last year and pitched 4 or 5 strong innings.  Beyond that, he said Drake would be available.  I suspect Machado will also be called upon.  

Today's game will get underway at 5:00 (ET) under mostly sunny skies and a temperature of 68 and light winds from the east-northeast.

The same media choices are available:

http://www.gosycamores.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=65128&SPID=7256&DB_OEM_ID=15200&ATCLID=205155118

Plus, the TribStar's Todd Golden's running blog:

http://blogs.tribstar.com/downinthevalley/


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## bluepower

Brandon Flora will start for ISU...see updated story information above.


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## bluepower

Today's starting line-up, courtesy of Todd Golden:

Lineups for the game

ISU (visitors)
LF Kyle Burnam (.291, 2 HR, 26 RBI)
3B Koby Kraemer (.322, 4 HR, 39 RBI)
RF Robby Ort (.330, 10 HR, 53 RBI)
C Jeremy Lucas (.327, 3 HR, 28 RBI)
1B Jon Hedges (.246, 5 HR, 38 RBI)
CF Lucas Hileman (.266, 0 HR, 18 RBI)
DH Ryan Walterhouse (.226, 4 HR, 21 RBI)
SS Tyler Wampler (.305, 0 HR, 16 RBI)
2B Jeff Miera (.246, 0 HR, 4 RBI)
Pitching: LHP Brandon Flora (2.70, 0-0, 20 games, 13 1/3 IP, 10 Ks, three walks)

Wichita State
SS Tyler Grimes (.299, 5 HR, 32 RBI)
CF Kevin Hall (.258, 3 HR, 28 RBI)
C Chris O’Brien (.406, 10 HR, 67 RBI)
1B Johnny Coy (.276, 6 HR, 55 RBI)
DH Preston Springer (.300, 10 HR, 54 RBI)
3B Dayne Parker (.167, 0 HR, 8 RBI)
RF Don Lambert (.247, 2 HR, 27 RBI)
LF Micah Green (.261, 1 HR, 22 RBI)
2B Walker Davidson (.247, 0 HR, 24 RBI)
Pitching: LHP Josh Smith (3.12, 7-3, 14 games, 72 IP, 53 Ks, 23 walks)


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## bluepower

Top of first...ISU goes quietly in order.  0-0

Bottom of first...Wichita St. goes quietly, 1-2-3.  No score.


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## bluepower

Top of Second...Lucas singles to left. Hedges singles through short. Hileman pops out trying to bunt. Walterhouse flies out to right and Lucas advances to third. Wampler grounds to second, but fielder throws ball away.  One run scores and runners advance to second and third with two outs. Miera hit on left hand while swinging the bat. Technically a foul ball.  Miera pulled from game with a two-two count.  Pearson will complete at at-bat and play second. On the first pitch, Peason drove ball into center and ISU leads 3-0!  Two out error results in three runs against WSU. Burnam lines out to first.  ISU leads 3-0.

Bottom of second...Flora gets his fourth straight out on a fly-out to right in his first career start. Next batter flies out to Kraemer in foul territory over his shoulder down the line!  First base hit through pitcher, but Flora is hit on the throwing hand and ball deflects to Kraemer at third. Flora will remain in game. One on and two out. Lambert doubles to right field wall.  Runners now at second and third with two outs. Batter grounds out to second for final out.  ISU leads 3-0.


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## TreeTop

bluepower said:


> Top of Second...Miera hit on left hand while swinging the bat. Technically a foul ball.  Miera pulled from game with a two-two count.



I saw that play and the replay showed he fouled the ball into his face.  Looked extremely painful...have no idea his status, but it looked bad enough that it could have fractured a bone in his face.


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## bluepower

Top of third...Kraemer grounded out to second. Ort strikes out for second time this game. Lucas grounds out to short and Grimes makes a great play.  3-0, ISU.

Bottom of third...number nine batter draws a walk. Pearson catches Grimes pop-up behind first base. Batter swings and misses on high pitch and Davidson is thrown out stealing second.  Was a "would be" hit and run gone a foul.  Batter then grounds out to second. ISU leads 3-0.


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## bluepower

Top of fourth...Hedges flies out to right. Five straight retired by Josh Smith. Hileman flies out to left. Walterhouse, today's DH, walks on four balls. Wampler drills a ball to left center and Kevin Hall makes a diving catch.  ISU still leads, 3-0.

Bottom of fourth...Flora, who has pitch just 4.1 innings in MVC play this season, is about to double his season output!  MVC Play of the Year, Chris O'Brien draws a walk. Johnny Coy blasts a homer to left field to cut the lead to 3-2. Next batter drives ball to edge of right field warning track. Out number one. Dugout warning to the WSU dugout.  Don't know exactly why. Next batter grounds to third and Kraemer muffs throw to first.  Runner moves to second. Lambert singles up the middle. Tie run scored. WSU batters appear to be comfortable with the second time through the order.  One out. Machado is up in the pen. Batter flies out to deep center and Greene tags and moves to second. Pearson catches final out in shallow center.  Score tied, 3-3.


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## ISUCC

from Golden

Fourth inning
– I just found out that Miera has a broken nose. They are going to try and reset it soon


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## Callmedoc

Shockernet is cracking me up right now


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## bluepower

Top of fifth...as ISUCC said above, Miera has a broken nose, not a bruised hand. Pearson grounded out to short. Kraemer flies out left along the line. Kraemer pops out to catcher in foul territory.  Still tied at 3-3.

Bottom of fifth...Flora remains on the mound. Third time through the WSU order. Grimes walks on four pitches. Machado warming in ISU pen and Machado is brought into the game.  Hall sac bunts Grimes down to second and O'Brien is intentionally walked. Runners at first and second with no outs. Coy lines to short and Grimes is doubled-up at second. Still 3-3!


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## bluepower

Top of sixth...Ort strikes out for third time. Ort is the only strikeouts that WSU's pitcher has! Lucas lines a single to left.  First hit since the second for ISU. Smith gets his first balk of the season. Lucas moves to second.  Hedges walks.  Hileman grounds down the third base line, but third baseman throws ball away allowing Lucas to score.  4-3, ISU.  Runners on second and third with one out.  Safety squeeze down first base line is muffed and Walterhouse is safe on first and another run scores! Not an error against WSU, but it really was. Runners at first and third.  Sac fly for Wampler scores Hileman for third run of inning. Now 6-3. Runner at first with two outs. Pearson grounds out to third for final out in a sloppy inning for WSU.  ISU leads 6-3.

Bottom of sixth...Machado remains on the hill. First batter strikes out.  Next batter singles up the middle. WSU has won only three times this season when trailing at the start of the seventh inning. Lambert strikes out looking. Two outs. Greene lines out to Hileman in center.  ISU leads 6-3.


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## bluepower

LOL, ShockerNet is a really strange!  Only negativity is allowed...against WSU or its opponent!


Top of seventh...Josh Smith is out after six and Labrie is on to pitch. Burnam grounds out to short. Kraemer also grounds out to short.  Ort grounds out to second to end the inning.  ISU is ahead 6-3. 

Bottom of seventh...Five of six runs for ISU are unearned. Machado still on mound. Davidson strikes out swinging. Grimes grounds out to first. Two outs.  Hall singled up the middle.  O'Brien has his 26 game hitting streak on the line as he comes to bat.  O'Brien singles and moves to second on the throw.  Runners at second and third with two outs. Activity in ISU pen with Josh Neagle. Coy grounds out to short.  ISU in the lead, 6-3.


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## bluepower

Top of the eighth...Lucas is three for four today with a lead-off single to left. Hedges grounds into what should have been a doubleplay...but the third baseman bobbles the exchange and can only get Hedges at first. Hedges moves to third on a Hileman groundout. Walterhouse singles to left and Lucas scores.  Now up 7-3! Ferguson pinch running for Walterhouse. Freshman Tyler Wampler gets an infield single to second...as Davidson can't make the play. Ferguson moves to second. Two outs. Pitching change for Shockers (who are only shocking themselves so far today). New pitcher is Grant Muncrief. Pearson strikes out.  ISU leads, 7-3.


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## Callmedoc

People checkout Shockernet. BLUEPOWER IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!! I would think if anything their actions are the sign are a sign of a deep-rooted Inferiority complex so they over compensate with the mouth...Sadly I really like Wichita kansas so deep down I kinda root for them occasionally.


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## Sycamore Proud

shockernet is hilarious!


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## bluepower

Bottom of eighth...Machado still on the hill. Springer strikes out swinging.  Machado now has four K's. Parker grounds to third and Kreamer boots the ball for his second error of game. Stucky (pinch hitter) singled up the middle. Halbert flied out to left.  Sycs lead 7-3.


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## Callmedoc

SP I feel like we are on the same wave length today!


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## Sycamore Proud

Dgreenwell3 said:


> SP I feel like we are on the same wave length today!



You know what they say about great minds . . .


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## Callmedoc

Sycamore Proud said:


> You know what they say about great minds . . .



They have big shoes? Wait that's something else...


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## bluepower

Top of ninth...Burnam grounds out to second. Kraemer doubles off the left-field wall. Ort pops out to second. Lucas walks.  Hedges flies out to center.  ISU leads 7-3.



Five unearned runs for ISU is the difference in this game.


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## Callmedoc

I think shocker fever is Baller on there...which is hillariously bad.


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## Callmedoc

Kraemer is a good kid too...


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## bluepower

Bottom of ninth...WSU has just three outs to make something happen. Drake to pitch final frame. Machado impressive today, holding WSU scoreless for 4.2 innings. Grimes singles to center. Hall singles to left. O'Brien walks to load bases with no outs. Coy (who already has a mamouth blast earlier this game) is at the plate. Wild pitch scores one run and moves runners to second and third.  Takes doubleplay out of the options. Coy strikes out swinging. One out. Score 7-4. Springer grounds out to short.  A run scores to make it 7-5. Two outs. Parker singles to left. Runners at first and third.  Pinch runner for Parker. Single for Lambert scores another run. Runners at first and second with two outs. Stucky grounds to deep third. Umpire makes a bad call when he says Kraemer got the man out at third. The runner beat the throw as was shown a couple of times on replays. But, it took ISU out of it's ninth inning misery. ISU wins 7-6!


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## TH_Sycamore12

Cutting it close Trees, but nice win!


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## Teamwork

sure did it the hard way but............YES YES YES.....DOWN WENT THOSE DASTARDLY SHOX..........................

GO SYCAMORES - NOW BEAT 'EM AGAIN TOMORROW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## bluepower

ISU and WSU will meet again on Friday at 1:30 (ET).

With all of our first level pitching used up, what will we do tomorrow?  Flora, Machado and Hochstedler have all seen a lot of innings.


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## TH_Sycamore12

Sycamore Proud said:


> shockernet is hilarious!



From Shockernet pg. 4..posted by ShockerFever..
"I give up. Let's just give these worthless high schoolers the game." :naughty:


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## Teamwork

Just pitch whomever wants the ball..........it's down to guts and competitive spirit at this point........................................ITS GO FOR THE GLORY TIME !


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## Sycamore Proud

ShockerFever:

Guess the umps/Valley wanted to make sure the late game would still be on schedule so it wouldn't disappoint the 10,000 fans that are waiting to enter the ballpark for the home team. 


This SH*T better light a fire under them for tomorrow. This kinda BS should make them want to pound the living daylights out of these high schoolers tomorrow.


While I agree that we gift-wrapped this one to the Suckamores, that doesn't excuse an umpire 5 feet from the bag from totally blowing a safe call.


newshock1234 wrote:
WuDrWu wrote:
The number of times this #### league ass rapes us is inexcusable.
Let me out now!

this X 10000000000000000

X 2



Let's see, so far it's been the umps fault and the Valley's fault.

1972shocker:  Still the Shocks put themselves in the position to allow a bad call to perhaps determine the outcome of the game.

Maybe the shockers fault.

Good job Sycamores!  Winners take advantage of opportunities no matter how they are presented.


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## Callmedoc

1972shocker: way to show class. You are the only person with any on that message board.


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## Daveinth

How freaking great will it be if we are the ones who eliminated the Suckers from both the Baseball and Basketball Tournaments. What will WHAAA State blame next ? They talk about ass rape watch them cry cheat when we kick the shit out of them tommorrow and send their crybaby asses home selling tickets to the rest of the Tourney in Omaha they way they were doing it in St Louis


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## ISUWillWinTheMVCTitle

You guys are pretty funny. Do you spend more time on the Shocker board than the Sycamore board?

degreenwell13,
Do you really think this message board is full of class? Fact is, every message board is the same. Time to open up your eyes and smell the roses.

Lord knows how this board would have reacted if that final blown call was made against the Sycamores instead of the Shockers.


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## ISUCC

what would have happened? I'll tell you what would have happened, we ISU fans would have accepted it gracefully, congratulated our young team for a fine season (assuming WSU would have actually scored to tie the game, then go on to win) and wished WSU well in the finals. Simple enough. 



ISUWillWinTheMVCTitle said:


> You guys are pretty funny. Do you spend more time on the Shocker board than the Sycamore board?
> 
> degreenwell13,
> Do you really think this message board is full of class? Fact is, every message board is the same. Time to open up your eyes and smell the roses.
> 
> *Lord knows how this board would have reacted if that final blown call was made against the Sycamores instead of the Shockers.*


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## Callmedoc

ISUwillwinthemvctitle, 
If you r going to make comments about me, get my moniker correctly if you expect me to respond. We rarely make comments to the effect of Suckamores on our site so considering your title and email you registered under I am not sure you should EVER comment on the amount of class someone has because apparently you lack it!


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## TJames

*So I guess we can change their nickname from.....*

We-Cheat-um State to Whiner State University. Again, it doesn't matter the sport. Wichita State fans, well a lot of them, are arrogant and classless. 

Now the big question is to wonder why they are that way.


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## GoSycamores.com

*Indiana State Survives And Advances With 7-6 Victory Over Wichita State*

http://bit.ly/kEBqkv

Postgame comments from head coach Heller:


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## ISUCC

really, do we need to stoop to the level of some WSU fans? Let them post what they may about ISU on their message board. Our teams will prove who's better on the playing fields for all sports.


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## Callmedoc

TJames said:


> We-Cheat-um State to Whiner State University. Again, it doesn't matter the sport. Wichita State fans, well a lot of them, are arrogant and classless.
> 
> Now the big question is to wonder why they are that way.



Tom, We have never met in person but I really wanna give you a gigantic high five right now.


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## Sycamore Proud

Dgreenwell3 said:


> Tom, We have never met in person but I really wanna give you a gigantic high five right now.



Ditto!


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## bent20

That's a nice win. Let's get it done again tomorrow!


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## bluepower

Here's a good article from Friday's TribStar by Todd Golden on Thursday's games:

http://tribstar.com/sports/x816761279/ISU-survives-against-Wichita-State-at-MVC-Tournament

Here's the WTHI-TV story on the games Thursday:

http://www.wthitv.com/dpp/sports/college/INDIANA-STATE-BASEBALL-MVC-Tourney


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## bent20

The pitching situation makes me wonder why the MVC crams so many games into such a short window. Isn't that asking a little much?


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## Callmedoc

Could we sign Kip wells? Jk the cards always brought him out for spot starts and he was really bad


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