Indiana Hoosiers (21-27) faced Purdue (32-15) in a rivalry showdown that could have revived Indiana’s season. Instead of seizing the opportunity, Indiana crumbled late in games and exemplified everything that has gone poorly for themselves this season. In both games one and two, Indiana held a lead heading into the eighth inning and blew the lead late.
Friday: Purdue 11, Indiana 9
Indiana started the game off the right way, with Owen Ten Oever’s two-RBI double, which scored Jake Hanley and Hogan Denny. Tony Neubeck had a quality start, giving up two runs in six innings.
Indiana had an explosive fourth inning with six runs. This inning featured Brayden Ricketts‘ three-run home run, which scored Will Moore and Landen Fry. Indiana took an 8-2 lead after four innings, after a Zach Zychowski single, which scored two.
Indiana picked up their final run in the sixth from Hanley’s single, which scored Moore, putting Indiana up 9-2.
Then Indiana’s nightmare became a reality. Pitcher Jackson Yarberry started by allowing two runs in the seventh, and then his night was ended when he allowed two more in the eighth. Then Gavin Seebold replaced him on the mound and gave up five runs in 0.1 innings, as Indiana blew the seven-run lead.
This would be a devastating blow to an Indiana team that is already on life support.
Saturday: Purdue 5, Indiana 4
Indiana was thoroughly embarrassed on Friday, but Saturday wouldn’t feel any better. Brayton Thomas was masterful on the mound for 5.1 innings, as he allowed 0 runs and struck out two batters on the way to a very quality start. However, the starting pitching would not be the headline of the game, as for the eighth time this season, the Indiana bullpen blew a lead late in a game, resulting in a Hoosiers loss.
Indiana would gather a 4-0 lead before the ninth inning, with Reagan Rivera on the mound, as the Hoosiers sought to close out a victory and put Friday behind them. Instead, Indiana’s demons were exercised to the fullest, as they collapsed.
Purdue started things off with a walk-in run, then grabbed an RBI line-out to make it 4-2. Indiana, now with Anthony Gubitosi pitching to close out the game, gave up a three-RBI double to walk off the game with a boilermaker, 5-4, win.
This would pull the plug on the Indiana season.
Sunday: Purdue 11, Indiana 8
After a crushing game one and two, Indiana would look to find any light at the end of the tunnel. Indiana would not find that in this game.
Purdue started where they left off on Saturday, with a three-run first inning off of Indiana pitcher Connor Linn. With Linn still in the game, Purdue gathered a two-run second, continuing to break Indiana’s spirit.
Indiana threw the next punch in this nine-inning bout, with Cooper Malamazian‘s RBI single, which scored Hanley. Then in the fifth, Moore scored on a wild pitch. At the bottom, Purdue’s Avery Moore hit a solo bomb to left center. It was 6-2 after five.
In the sixth, Owen Ten Oever continued his breakout with a two-run homer, scoring Caleb Koskie as well. Landen Fry then followed that up with a three-run blast to left, which gave the Hoosiers a 7-6 lead.
Then, in the bottom, Purdue tripled and took back the lead, 8-7.
Off the arm of Michael Sarhatt, Purdue scored three in the seventh, which increased their lead to 11-7.
Indiana fights back in the eighth with a run from Moore’s flyout that scored Malamazian.
Indiana would then go 1-2-3 in the ninth inning, resulting in a loss and the series sweep. Indiana falls to 21-30 on the year, and is now eliminated from Big Ten Tournament contention.
Indiana failed at Northwestern, which practically ended their Big Ten Tournament hopes, but this series against Purdue shattered all hope. A devastating series, stranding Indiana outside of the Big Ten Tournament, and leaving Indiana with a five-game losing streak.
Indiana has three games left, but it is safe to say that head coach Jeff Mercer’s eighth season will be his worst. It will be the only time his team has missed the Big Ten Tournament, and it will likely be the end of his tenure as head coach of this program. His coaching highs at Indiana were early on in his coaching career here, and it has been a steady decline in production ever since the 2019 season. Indiana baseball will likely enter the coaching search for the first time since 2018.