TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The nationally-ranked Indiana State Sycamores used solo home runs in the fourth and fifth innings on Saturday to rally from an early 4-3 deficit to hold off the visiting University of Evansville baseball team, 6-4, at Bob Warn Field in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Senior first baseman Kip Fougerousse started a perfect 5-for-5 day in the first inning with a two-run double to give UE an early 2-0 lead. But, the Sycamores rallied for three runs in the bottom of the first inning on four singles to quickly grab a 3-2 advantage.
From there, both starters – Evansville’s Donovan Schultz (3-2) and Indiana State’s Brennyn Cutts – traded scoreless innings until the fourth inning, when UE would grab a 4-3 lead with a pair of runs. Fougerousse launched his 12th home run of the year with a solo home run to lead off the frame, before junior designated hitter Evan Waggoner would add an RBI single with two outs to give UE a 4-3 lead.
The lead would be short-lived though, as Indiana State’s Adam Pottinger would hit a lead-off home run in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie the game at 4-4. Then, in the fifth inning, ISU first baseman Luis Hernandez launched a lead-off home run to give the Sycamores a 5-4 lead. From there, ISU reliever Zach Davidson (3-1) would keep Evansville off-balance, striking out 10 men in 4.1 scoreless innings of three-hit relief.
Indiana State would tack on an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning to extend the lead to 6-4. UE would threaten in the top of the ninth inning, as graduate outfielder Mark Shallenberger and Fougerousse would produce singles to put two men on with two out. ISU closer Simon Gregersen would get a line out to second base, though, to end the threat and earn his sixth save of the year.
Fougerousse went 5-for-5 with two doubles and a home run, as he finished just a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. Shallenberger and senior shortstop Simon Scherry both added two hits for Evansville.
With the victory, Indiana State improved to 36-10 overall and 19-4 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Evansville, meanwhile, dropped to 28-22 overall and 14-9 in the MVC with the loss. The series will conclude on Sunday afternoon at 12 p.m. central time. Sunday’s game can be heard live in the Tri-State area on 107.1 FM-WJPS and seen live on-line on ESPN+.
