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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Indiana State earned the combined shutout Sunday afternoon at Braun Stadium in the series rubber match, topping the University of Evansville baseball team 6-0. The Sycamores won the series 2-1, improving their record to 19-5 on the season, while the Aces fell to 15-9 overall and finished Missouri Valley Conference opening weekend with a 1-2 mark.

Four Indiana State hurlers combined for the shutout, as Ryan Torgerson (4-0) earned the win, throwing six scoreless frames, allowing six hits, a walk, and struck out four.

Freshman Kyle Freeland (1-3) took the loss for the Aces, also throwing six innings, allowed three runs (two earned), and struck out five.

The Sycamores took the initial lead in the second inning on Tyler Wampler’s RBI single. However, Freeland settled down to retire 11 consecutive batters before giving up a one-out single to Robby Ort in the sixth. Freeland issued a walk to Jeremy Lucas, and Kyle Burnam followed with an RBI single to right-center. With two outs, Indiana State scored another run on a throwing error to take a 3-0 advantage.

The Sycamores tacked on three more runs in the seventh off reliever Sam Johns, as a walk and hit batter put runners on first and second with one out. Ort lined a run-scoring single to right field, a wild pitch allowed the second run of the inning to cross the plate, and Lucas lined an RBI single to left before closer Josh Biggs was able to get the inning-ending double play.

Biggs shut down ISU in the final 2.2 innings, surrendering no hits or runs, while allowing just one base runner.

Leaving 12 runners stranded on base in the game, Evansville missed opportunities to bring in some runs, especially late in the contest. The Aces left the bases loaded in both the sixth inning and seventh innings, and even had bases loaded and no outs in the seventh frame.

Eric Stamets, Andy Lasher, and Tim Bodine all went 2-for-4 in the game to lead Evansville’s bats, as the Aces outhit the Sycamores, 9-6, but were unable to pick up any RBIs.

The Aces go out of conference for a midweek game versus Lipscomb Wednesday at Braun Stadium before heading to Creighton next weekend for week two of MVC play.