Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Valparaiso saw its perfect home record come to an end on Wednesday afternoon as the Crusaders dropped a 5-1 contest to Indiana State at Emory G. Bauer Field.

Valpo had won its first four home games prior to the defeat.

Indiana State starter Matt Shelton (2-0) limited Valpo to just three hits and one unearned run on the afternoon while striking out nine Crusader hitters.

The Sycamores struck first with a pair of runs in the second inning. Ryan Strausborger's single to right field brought home Brett Siegmund and Marcus Artner.

The Crusaders cut their deficit in half in the fifth. Jason Brunelli (Greenfield, Wis./Greenfield H.S.) reached on an error to lead off the inning and Mark Schoeck (Bellefountaine, Ohio/Bellefountaine H.S.) and Josh Piazza (Glenview, Ill./Notre Dame H.S.) followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases. Josh Wallace (Bellefountaine, Ohio/Bellefountaine H.S.) plated Brunelli with a fielder's choice ground out, but Shelton got the next two hitters to end the Valpo threat.

Indiana State (16-14) scored three more in the seventh, batting around the order. A fielder's choice and a wild pitch brought home the first two runs in the inning while Chris Schmidt's single added the game's fifth run.

Harvey Yergin (Akron, Ohio) Cuyahgoa Valley Christian Academy) started and worked 6.1 innings for the Crusaders, taking the loss (1-5). He allowed all five runs, four of which were earned, and 10 hits while fanning six.

Strausborger went 3-for-4 with two runs batted in to lead the way for the Sycamores at the plate.

Valparaiso (8-17) will head to DeKalb, Ill. on Wednesday afternoon for a 3 p.m. game against Northern Illinois.