Missouri State University

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Missouri Valley Conference strikeout leader Jacob Petricka lived up to the billing Friday by fanning 11 Missouri State hitters as Indiana State defeated the Bears by an 8-1 final at Bob Warn Field in Terre Haute, Ind.

    Petricka (7-4) got 10 of his strikeouts through five innings in a complete-game effort and took advantage of a three-run Sycamore first to settle in. ISU’s Ryan Strausborger set the tone with a leadoff triple and scored on Kyle Burnam’s single before Robby Ort rode the 25-mile-per-hour out to left for a two-run homer and 3-0 Sycamore lead, more than enough for the home to team to snap Missouri State’s 11-game winning streak in Terre Haute.

    The Sycamores (28-12, 7-5 MVC) used a sacrifice fly in the second and RBI double in the fifth, both courtesy of Ben Ferrell, to go ahead 5-0.

    The Bears (17-23, 3-7) finally managed to get a runner to second in the fifth, albeit it with two out, and got on the scoreboard in the sixth in a promising inning that was cut short by a double play.

    Travis McComack knocked a leadoff single before a two-ball left the bases empty with two down. Kevin Medrano drew a walk and Keenen Maddox and Tyler Paxson hit back-to-back singles to make the score 5-1. Paxson went 2-for-4 as the only Bear to register multiple hits, while Medrano extended his hitting streak to 22 games with a single in the first.

    Indiana State tacked on three more in the eighth. With the bases empty and two outs, and single and a walk were followed by a high pop fly off the bat of Jeremy Lucas that the wind played into an RBI double after the ball landed in shallow center field. Tyler Graham followed with an RBI single, ending Mike Kickham’s (4-6) day one out shy of a complete game. Sean Toler recorded the final out for MSU.

    The Bears and Sycamores meet again at 1 p.m. Central Saturday.