Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Indiana State
Smith Collects First Victory as Indiana Skipper
3/7/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 7, 2006
Box Score
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Joe Vicini was brilliant in relief en route to his first career win and David Trager picked up his first career save, giving Tracy Smith his first victory as head coach of the Indiana baseball team. The Hoosiers (1-6) downed Indiana State (4-5), 7-4, at Sycamore Field on March 6 to secure their first win of the season.
A freshman from Rural Valley, Pa., Vicini tossed 4 2/3 shutout innings and held the Sycamores to only two hits and one walk to go along with a pair of punchouts. He retired 13 of the 16 batters he faced in the contest. On the season, Vicini has not allowed a run in 7 2/3 innings (2 hits, 2 bases on balls) and has set down 22 of the 26 hitters he has seen.
Vicini retired 13-of-14 batters he faced until second baseman Ryan Bond walked and catcher Nevin Ashley laced a base knock into left field with two down in the eight. Trager relieved Vicini and forced the tying run and pinch-hitter Kyle Kolb to ground out to sophomore shortstop Tad Reida to close out the Sycamores' final threat.
The sophomore right-hander went on to throw a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his first career save. Trager owns a 0.84 ERA this year, surrendering one earned run in 10 2/3 innings pitched.
Offensively, IU pounded out 10 hits and recorded three stolen bases. Senior center fielder Reggie Watson went 2-for-3 with two runs and two stolen bases, while senior left fielder Jay Brant (1 run, 1 steal), junior first baseman Michael Nilles (2 RBI) and junior third baseman Steve Head (2 runs) each collected two hits.
The Hoosier bats heated up in the series finale against No. 24 Miami (Fla.) on March 5 and continued to stay warm against the Sycamores. With one out in the first inning, Watson and Brant delivered back-to-back singles. After Reida reached on an error, Nilles blooped a base knock into right field to drive in Watson and Brant for a 2-0 lead.
Watson's speed generated IU's third run in the third frame. Leading off with a line shot into left center, Watson proceeded to steal second and third, scoring when Ashley's errant throw sailed by third baseman Andrew Strange into left field.
Shortstop Jake Eigsti's home run in the bottom of the inning off Hoosier starter Eric Wagner made it 3-1, but Indiana got that run back plus one more the next inning. Freshman right fielder Andrew Means doubled into right-center field as junior third baseman Steve Head came across with the first run of the frame.
Two batters later, Means trotted home on a groundout by junior second baseman Keith Haas to give the Hoosiers a four-run lead and knock ISU starter Ryan Tatusko (0-2) out of the ballgame.
Once again, Indiana State responded in the home half of the inning. The Sycamores loaded the bases with nobody out and three runs already in when Vicini entered for Wagner. Vicini forced right fielder Tim Brewer to roll a weak grounder to Reida, who stepped on the bag and threw to Nilles at first for a momentum-shifting double play.
The southpaw then escaped the jam as freshman catcher Billy O'Conner tracked down a foul pop up off the bat of designated hitter Chris Schmidt to preserve a 5-4 Hoosier lead through four innings.
Senior designated hitter Zach Boswell gave IU some breathing room and a tally in the third straight inning, taking an Adam Tyler offering over the left-field wall for an opposite field solo shot in the fifth. Boswell's first home run of the season moved Indiana ahead, 6-4.
The Hoosiers added an insurance tally in the eighth with some textbook execution. Head reached on a one-out walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice by Means and raced home on an O'Conner liner that dropped in front of left fielder Josh Abercrombie.
Next up, Indiana welcomes Xavier to Sembower Field for its home opener Wednesday, March 8, at 3 p.m. The Musketeers are coached by former Hoosier assistant Scott Googins (1994-01) and enter tomorrow's contest with a 5-7 record.
Game Notes
-The victory marked Tracy Smith's first victory as Hoosier skipper.
-Freshman right-hander Joe Vicini earned his first collegiate victory. The Rural Valley, Pa., native has not allowed a run in 7 2/3 innings pitched and has retired 22 of the 26 batters he has faced this season.
-Sophomore right-hander David Trager fired the final 1 1/3 innings to earn his first career save. Trager has only surrendered one earned run in 10 2/3 frames this season.
-Indiana now owns a 41-32 lead in the all-time series against Indiana State. Its last victory in Terre Haute, Ind., came on April 24, 1996, an 8-5 victory.
-Eric Wagner made his second start of the season. The freshman right-hander also started the season opener at Charlotte on Feb. 24.
-Senior designated hitter Zach Boswell's fifth-inning solo shot was his first home run this season and the ninth of his career.
-Sophomore shortstop Tad Reida's sister, Tiffany, is a freshman on Indiana State's women's basketball team.
