Saturday afternoon at Sycamore Field. Sunny. A little cool. The wind is not nearly the factor it was Friday.
We’re pushed back to tomorrow at noon. WSU leads 8-7 and will have two runners on with Kenny Williams at the plate with a 1-0 count.
Lightning delay with one out in the top of the ninth. WSU has two runners on and Kenny Williams at the plate. It’s been raining lightly for awhile. A big lightning flash nearby inspired the umpires to clear the field. Lightning means a 30-minute delay, which means the game is off until at least 8:35.
This isn’t the only wild game in the MVC. UNI leads SIU 12-10 in the fourth in Waterloo.
WSU 8, ISU 7, going to the ninth: The Sycamores scored four in the eighth to make this one tight. WSU’s pitchers walked two, hit a batter and two runs scored on wild pitches.
Northern Iowa is likely going to stay in first place. The Panthers lead SIU 9-1 and knocked out SIU starter Shawn Joy in the first inning. Yes, that’s the same Sean Joy who shut out WSU. The Salukis moved him to Friday and the Panthers moved him out quickly.
WSU 7, ISU 3, bottom of sixth. Andy Dirks drives in two with a single.
WSU 5, ISU 3, bottom of the fifth: Gillaspie homers to center, helped by the wind. The Shockers struck out twice in the inning, bringing their total to seven.
WSU 4, ISU 3 after four: The Sycamores continue to hit Musgrave. They scored two runs in the fourth. WSU got out of the inning on a runner’s interference call. David Brumagin bumped second baseman Kyle Sisney, who was coming in to field a bouncing ball.
WSU 4, ISU 1, after three: Coleman hits a grand slam in the top of the third. It is his sixth home run and his first since he hit two against Harvard on March 8. WSU starter Rob Musgrave is not as precise as normal. I would expect that to change. The Sycamores are hitting his fastball. His off-speed stuff is working well.
WSU wasted bases loaded, one out in the first inning.
WSU coach Gene Stephenson makes lineup changes, which isn’t at all surprising after Wednesday’s 5-hit performance at Oklahoma State. Ryan Jones moves back to No. 2 from the cleanup spot, where he did not look comfortable at all. Kenny Williams drops from No. 2, where he struggled, to No. 8, which is close the No. 9 spot where he looked great. Dusty Coleman, looking better at the plate in recent games, moves back to cleanup. Freshman Mitch Caster hits sixth. I like what I have seen from Caster in limited appearances. He does not appear to be overmatched or ill at ease.
Hot and windy, windy day in Terre Haute. Not quite like in Lincoln two weeks ago, but blowing hard to left and left center. Feels great, considering how the rest of the season has gone.
WSU second baseman Josh Workman, out with a pulled muscle on his left side, did not travel to Terre Haute.
In a non-baseball related note, I talked to P.J. Couisnard today about his basketball future. He has signed with an agent (former Bull B.J. Armstrong) and has some plans in the works for after graduation. Most interestingly, he is writing a book about his five years at WSU. No title or publisher yet, but he’s working on it. I am going to write a little more about P.J. the author for Sunday.
I will be first in line at Watermark for the book reading and signing. Perhaps we can do some suggest titles here and pass them on to P.J.
How about:
- The Defense Never Rests: P.J. Couisnard’s five seasons as a Shocker. (Stolen from F. Lee Bailey).
- This 2 Shall Pass, Score, Rebound and Defend
- When in Vegas, Don’t Eat the Biscuits and Gravy