The Indiana Hoosiers (2-5) were posed to score another Power Four win on Sunday against Notre Dame, but once again a late inning bullpen meltdown left IU on the losing end of a 9-8 extra inning affair.
The Hoosiers used some small ball to get on the scoreboard first as lead off hitter Ayden Crouse walked and stole second before a Brayden Ricketts single scored him from second base. The Fighting Irish threatened in the bottom of the inning, but starting pitcher Jackson Bergman wiggled out of it. Bergman went five innings allowing three earned runs on eight hits, one walk and two hit batters.
Notre Dame would tie the score at one in the bottom of the second when Jamie Zee singled home a run. After a scoreless third inning both offenses started to get going.
Indiana broke the 1-1 tie in the top of the fourth when true freshman Mateo Noto recorded his first career hit and RBI in just his second start of the season as he knocked in fellow freshman Landen Fry. Fry continued his torrid start to the season with a three-hit game.
Notre Dame would tie the score in the bottom of the fourth inning as Bergman hit lead off hitter Chase Van Ameyde who later came around to score on a Drew Berkland single.
The Hoosiers opened up a 6-3 lead with a four-run fifth inning as five-straight Hoosiers reached base. Malamazian took advantage of a bases loaded situation with a three-run double and Fry followed that up with an RBI single. The Irish scored one in the bottom of the fifth when Mark Quatrani hit the first of two home runs on the day.
Jackson Yarberry came on to pitch the sixth for the Hoosiers and held the scored at 6-2 allowing just one hit. Indiana would stretch their lead to 8-3 in the top of the seventh as Rickets, who led off the inning with a single, was balked home and Malamazian scored on a Fry double. IU headed into the stretch with a five-run lead.
Then the bullpen faulted again.
Yarberry allowed a lead a leadoff home run to Quatrani and walked the next two batters before being lifted for Cooper Lin who would allow both baserunners he inherited move up a base on a passed ball error on TJ Schuyler. Lin then allowed a Noah Coy RBI single, walked the next batter before a Mason Barth pinch hit two-run single chased him from the game.
Lin allowed two runs on two hits and did not record an out as he let Yarberry’s inherited runners score as well. Yarberry allowed three earned runs on two hits and two walks in an inning.
Jeff Mercer then brought in Jacob Voegl with a runner on second and nobody out. The Irish would tie the game at eight without having to get a hit as they used a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to third and a sacrifice fly to bring the runner home.
IU’s late inning woes were not limited to the pitching staff. After putting up eight runs in seven innings the Hoosiers had just two hits over the game’s final four innings.
Notre Dame would score the winning run in walk off fashion on a long single by Berkland after the Hoosiers hit three batters (two by Kellen English and one by Michael Sarhatt). IU pitchers issued nine walks and hit five batter on the day.