NORMAL, Ill. -- Senior starting pitcher Tyler Whitbread pitched one of his best games of the season as he helped the Sycamores stave off elimination in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship as the Sycamores defeated the Southern Illinois, 4-1 at Duffy Bass Field.
Indiana State (38-16) picked up three solo home runs in the game before adding an insurance run in the seventh to claim the victory and the right to face either Dallas Baptist and Illinois State contest at 8 p.m. ET Friday night in an elimination game.
Whitbread (8-2) finished the day tying a career high with eight innings pitched and one shy of a career high with nine strikeouts.