Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Butler
Hoosiers Drop Difficult Contest to Bulldogs, 6-5
3/29/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 29, 2006
Box Score
INDIANAPOLIS - In its final game before Big Ten play, the Indiana baseball team battled back twice only to fall short, 6-5, against Butler at Bulldog Park on March 29. The Hoosiers fell to 7-11 on the season, while the Bulldogs improved to 9-12.
With Trevor McConnell on third and second baseman Keith Haas on first with two down in the ninth, Haas danced off first and Bulldog pitcher Josh Vollmer (2-0) threw to shortstop Joe Pauley. McConnell immediately broke for the plate and slid in safely when catcher Joe Dempsey could not handle Pauley's throw to put IU in front, 4-3. Third baseman Josh Richardson followed with a bloop single into left center to score Haas for a two-run advantage. In the inning, McConnell swiped a pair of bags, and Haas and Richardson each added a steal.
Butler put runners on the corners with no outs in the bottom of the ninth, but right-hander Tyler Tufts (0-2) forced third baseman Clayton Deeb to ground out to shortstop David Trager, who stepped on second and fired to first for a double play. However, the Bulldogs fought back with a pair of unearned runs as Pauley singled to right-center field to knock in second baseman Jeff Brown with the game-winning run.
The Hoosiers pounded out 14 hits against eight Bulldog pitchers, highlighted by Haas' 3-for-3 performance. The North Olmsted, Ohio product also drove in a run and scored twice. Along with Haas, left fielder Jay Brant went 3-for-5, while first baseman Tad Reida added a 3-for-4 effort.
On the mound, reliever Doug Fleenor did not allow an earned run in a career-high 3 2/3 innings. The right-hander gave up just two hits with no walks. In his first start of the season, southpaw Adam Poole surrendered two earned runs in four innings with four punchouts.
Making his second start of the season, third baseman Tyler Cox executed a perfect hit-and-run with second baseman Keith Haas, delivering an RBI-double into the right-center field gap to give IU a 1-0 lead in the second.
Pauley hurt the Hoosiers in the field and at the plate in the third. The sophomore robbed designated hitter Steve Head of an RBI with a barehanded pick up and an off-balance throw to first on a ball knocked down by reliever Ryan Kriszka in the top half of the frame. In the bottom half of the frame, Pauley ripped a two-run single into right to put Butler in front, 2-1, heading into the fourth.
IU appeared to tie the game in the fifth when Brant slid around Dempsey's tag on a ground ball to first baseman Alex Rinearson. However, the home plate umpire ruled Dempsey blocked the plate and tagged Brant in time, costing Indiana the tying run.
The Hoosiers would not be denied the following frame against Butler's fifth pitcher of the afternoon, Jeff Sinkiewicz. After another controversial call on a double play, pinch-hitter Zach Boswell and catcher Jon Fixler took matters out of the umpires' hands. Boswell dropped a two-out single into right, and Fixler brought him home when he launched a two-bagger over center fielder Dustin Bucalo's outstretched glove to even the contest at 2-2.
IU regained the lead in the seventh as center fielder Reggie Watson extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a leadoff single and Trager worked a walk. A sacrifice by Reida moved the runners up 90 feet, and right-hander Tyler Tepe intentionally passed Head to load the bags.
Haas stepped to the plate and after falling behind 0-2, he lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to drive home Watson with the Hoosiers' third run of the afternoon.
The Bulldogs again knotted things in the eighth. Jeff Brown led off the inning, reached and advanced to second on an error. Fleenor battled back to retire the third and fourth batters in the Butler lineup, only to see Dempsey double into left-center field to plate Brown. Bucalo followed with a bunt single off reliever Brad Davidson, but Reida caught Dempsey off third and he was eventually run down by Fixler to end the frame.
After 18 non-conference contests, skipper Tracy Smith and the Hoosiers open their Big Ten season against Michigan State at Oldsmobile Park in East Lansing, Mich. The teams will open the four-game series with a single game at 3 p.m. (EST) on Friday, March 31, before returning to the field for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 1. First pitch for the series finale is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 2.
