Patzner's complete game leads Sycamores past Bears in series finale
Luke Patzner allowed just two runners past first base after the third inning in a masterful complete game performance as Indiana State topped Missouri State in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at Bob Warn Field, 8-1.
After surrendering a leadoff solo home run to Missouri State's (21-19, 5-7 MVC) Walker Jenkins in the top of the third, Patzner (3-1) retired the next 10 batters to shut down any potential Bears rally in the contest. The redshirt sophomore pitched his way around a bases-loaded situation in the sixth and picked up a double play in the seventh in flustering the MSU offense to just three hits in the conference win.
Patzner went a career-high 120 pitches in the Sycamores' first complete game pitching performance since Zach Frey went the distances back on June 5, 2021, in the NCAA Regional 9-2 win over Presbyterian. The right-hander surrendered just three hits, one walk, and hit one batter while striking out six in his third win of the 2022 season. Patzner retired the final eight batters in order before Joe Kido snagged the line drive back up the middle to secure the Sycamores win.
The Sycamores offense exploded for five runs in the bottom of the third inning and added three runs in the bottom of the eighth highlighted by back-to-back doubles by Seth Gergely and Jordan Schaffer as Indiana State snapped the four-game skid with the win. Grant Magill led ISU's offense with a 3-for-3 performance from the plate with a double and two RBI, while Gergely added two runs scored in the win.
Dan Merrill (1-3) took the loss for Missouri State in a staff day on the mound as the right-hander went 0.1 innings allowing three hits and five runs while walking two in the decisive third inning. Riyan Rodriguez went 3.1 innings in effective relief for the Bears while striking out three.
Jenkins' solo home run was the lone offense provided by the Bears on the day, while Spencer Nivens and Dakota Kotowski both added singles in the loss.
How They Scored
Missouri State took the 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning as Walker Jenkins connected on a solo home run to right field on the first pitch of the frame to give the Bears the advantage.
Indiana State sent 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the third inning with Sean Ross, Randall Diaz, and Parker Stinson all connecting on RBI singles in the inning. Grant Magill added a RBI sacrifice fly, while Seth Gergely scored on a wild pitch to give the Sycamores the 5-1 lead after three innings.
The Sycamores pushed across the final three runs of the contest in the bottom of the eighth as Grant Magill's RBI single to center field was followed by Seth Gergely and Jordan Schaffer RBI doubles to provide the final 8-1 margin.
News & Notes
Luke Patzner became the first Indiana State pitcher to throw a complete game in the 2022 season and first Sycamore to go the distance since Zach Frey went all nine innings in the win over Presbyterian at the 2021 NCAA Regional in Nashville.
Patzner eclipsed his previous season-high of five innings achieved three times this season, last against Evansville last weekend.
Patzner's six strikeouts was one off his season-high seven set back on March 15 against Southeast Missouri State.
Jordan Schaffer's pair of hits marked his 14th multi-hit game of the season and 39th of his ISU career.
Grant Magill posted his fourth three-hit game of the season and 11th multi-hit game overall on the year. He now has 20 career multi-hit games at ISU following the weekend.
The Sycamores continued their doubles streak on Sunday with three different players hitting doubles in the win. The streak moves to 14 consecutive games with multiple doubles and 23 consecutive contests with at least one double.
A model of consistency over recent history, ISU's win snapped the Sycamore's first four-game losing streak since 2019.
The Sycamores finish the weekend sitting third in the Missouri Valley standings with a 7-5 record in conference play with weekend series at Bradley (May 6-8), at Southern Illinois (May 13-15), and home against Dallas Baptist (May 19-21) still on the schedule.
Up Next
Indiana State embarks on an eight-game road trip starting Tuesday, May 3, as the Sycamores make the trip to Urbana-Champaign, Ill. to complete the home-and-home series with the University of Illinois. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. ET and will be carried live on B1G+ and 105.5 The Legend.
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on the Sycamore Baseball team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from both the App Store and the Google Play Store.
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