The Hoosiers snap their losing skid, while also reverting to their old ways in a weekend series with Rutgers. The Hoosiers exploded with dominant victories on Friday and Sunday, but blew an early lead in their game Saturday.
Friday: Indiana 11, Rutgers 0
Indiana ended its five-game losing streak with a dominant 11-0 performance against Rutgers on Friday. Jake Hanley opened things up for the Hoosiers with a third-inning two-run homer, driving in Hogan Denny. Will Moore’s 3 RBI homer to Left Center in the fourth got the Hoosiers an early five-run advantage. Hanley’s RBI single, getting Denny in once again, ends the fourth inning with a 6-0 lead.
The five-run sixth inning was opened up with a Denny left field two-run blast. The Hoosiers then capitalize on poor pitching from righty Jack Kirchner, scoring on both a hit-by-pitch and a wild pitch to score two more runs. Cole Decker’s RBI single ends the scoring, driving in Owen Ten Oever and giving the Hoosiers an 11-0 lead over the Scarlet Knights.
Indiana’s offense was on fire all game long, but the defense was on point as well, driven by left-handed pitcher Tony Neubeck, who gave the Hoosiers six stellar innings. He had eight strikeouts and only allowed three hits throughout the game. Righty Jacob Vogel gave the Hoosiers the final three outs in the seventh, as the Hoosiers grabbed the mercy rule victory.
Saturday: Rutgers 9, Indiana 6
Rutgers got their first run of the series off of Indiana righty pitcher Reagan Rivera, who gave up a sacrifice fly to Matt Chatelle, which allowed Peyton Bonds to touch home in the first. Indiana responded with Caleb Koskie’s two-run homer, as Denny scored as well. Koskie had a career high four hits in this game. Denny’s scoring trend continues as he touches home from Cooper Malamazian’s RBI lineout. Denny scored one last time in the fifth inning alongside Jake Hanley as Koskie hit a two RBI double.
The Hoosiers let in eight unanswered runs after being up 5-1. Rutgers offense explodes for three home runs in the sixth, eighth, and ninth innings, as they advance to a 9-6 victory. Indiana’s late-game pitching continued to be a struggle, as they fell to Rutgers.
Sunday: Indiana 8, Rutgers 2
After three scoreless innings, Brayden Ricketts’s solo bomb to right field breaks the tie. The fifth inning sees Hogan Denny scoring off of Jake Hanley’s RBI double, and Hanley getting home off of Caleb Koskie’s RBI groundout.
A four-run sixth put the game out of reach, as the Hoosiers use small ball to get meaningful runs. Indiana grabs two RBI singles from Will Moore and Hogan Denny, as well as a sacrifice fly from Koskie.
The Hoosiers allow two runs in the seventh while Jacob Vogel is on the mound, but meaningful scoreless innings from starter Brayton Thomas and reliever Jackson Yarberry get the job done as the Hoosiers claim the series victory over the Scarlet Knights and improve to 12-19 (5-10 in Big Ten) on the year.
The Hoosiers get a much-needed morale boost after five straight losses and will look to build off of that against Ball State on Tuesday.
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