VALPARAISO, Ind. – After a two-hour rain delay, Chicago State and host Valparaiso concluded its weekend baseball series here today with the host Crusaders posting a 16-4 victory at Emory G. Bauer Field. The Crusaders hiked their season record to 8-16, while the Cougars saw their record fall to 1-16.
Valpo took an early 4-0 lead in the second inning as Justin Frane and Billy Cribbs each recorded an RBI triple while Karch Kowalczyk and Kyle Muhlsteff posted RBI doubles. The Crusaders brought home seven more runs in the third inning behing two-run home runs from Muhlsteff and Paul Heinkel to increase their lead to 11-0.
Sophomore William Hill (Wheaton, Ill./Glenbard South) (Wheaton, Ill.) blasted his first collegiate home run to right field in the top of the fourth off Valpo starter Tyler Deetjen to close CSU's deficit to 16-1, but a two-run single from pinch hitter Bo McClendon was part of a five-run bottom half of the inning for the home team as it hiked its lead to 16-1.
The Cougars tallied three runs in the top of the sixth with RBI singles coming from junior Miguel Camacho (Chicago, IL/Oakton CC) (Chicago, Ill.) and junior Michael Carpen (Whiting, IN/Clark) (Whiting, Ind.) for the final margin.
Hill batted 3-of-4 with a double, a home run and scored twice to lead Chicago State on the day, while Michael Carpen (Whiting, IN/Clark) and freshman Christian Prince (Hudsonville, MI/Hudsonville) (Hudsonville, Mich.) added two hits apiece. Redshirt sophomore Albert Carpen (Whiting, IN/Clark) (Whiting, Ind.) fell to 0-1 on the year after allowing 11 runs on 12 hits in three innings of work in addition to recording a pair of strikeouts. Senior Scott Balcer (Palatine, IL/Harper College) (Palatine, Ill.) and freshman Colton Tortorello (Mundelein, IL/Mundelein) (Mundelein, Ill.) each hurled a scoreless inning in relief for the Cougars.
Frane hit a perfect 5-of-5 with a triple and scored twice for Valparaiso. Deetjen (1-0) struck out 10 batters and walked two in five and one-thirds innings thrown while giving up four runs on eight hits.
CSU returns to action on Tuesday as it heads back to Indiana for a doubleheader at IPFW beginning at 3 p.m., Eastern Time.
~CSU~
