Tuesday, April 13, 2004

Valparaiso, Ind. - Valpo raced out to a 5-0 lead after four innings, but Indiana State tied the game in the sixth and pushed a run across in the 10th to defeat the Crusaders 6-5.

Mike Arensdorff and Kevin Kutansky had two hits and one RBI each for Valpo (7-20).

Indiana State (10-18) scored the go-ahead run in the 10th when Josh Prickett led off the frame with a triple down the right field line and then immediately scored on Ryan Bond's single to right. Chris Riley, the Crusaders' fourth pitcher, avoided further damage by striking out two batters and retired another attempting to bunt.

Kevin Perri singled to left with two outs in the bottom of the 10th, but Valpo was unable to score.

The Crusaders grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first when Perri reached on an error and Kutansky hit an RBI triple to right. Keith Keslinke followed with an RBI single.

Eddie Hannan drove home Valpo's third run with a single in the third, scoring Perri, who was hit by a pitch.

Valpo increased its lead to 5-0 in the fourth after Ryan Manthei doubled and scored on a two-out throwing error by the third baseman on Jeff Rickert's ground ball. Arensdorff followed with an RBI single.

The Sycamores plated four runs in the fifth. Rance Fosdick and Prickett each drew successive bases-loaded walks. Bond, who had three RBIs, produced a two-run single to trim Valpo's lead to 5-4.

Barry Warn, ISU's senior second baseman, knotted the game at 5-5 in the sixth with an RBI single to right.

Matt Gillikin started on the mound for the Crusaders and hurled 5 1/3 innings. The sophomore righthander, who did not yield a hit through the first four innings, allowed three of his five hits in the fifth inning. Gillikin fanned four and walked four. Harvey Yergin (1-3) took the loss in relief, pitching 2 innings.

Jason Murray started for ISU and pitched the first 6 innings, allowing one earned run on six hits. Adam Lindsay hurled shutout ball over the final 4 innings.

Valpo hosts Lewis on Thursday at 3 p.m.