Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Purdue
Hoosiers Battle to Split with Boilermakers
4/15/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 15, 2006
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - After taking game one of its twinbill against Purdue, 3-2, the Indiana baseball team dropped the nightcap by a score of 5-2. With the split, the Hoosiers have won two of the first three contests in the four-game set. IU now stands at 4-7 in Big Ten play (12-19 overall), while Purdue owns a 6-5 conference mark (19-11 overall).
With a strong pitching performance from senior right-hander Josh Lewis and senior right fielder Zach Boswell providing the offense, Indiana notched its second straight win over its rival in the first ballgame. Lewis (3-5) rolled through five innings of two-run ball, while Boswell added a pair of RBI, including his fourth home run of the season.
In the opening frame, senior left fielder Jay Brant deposited a 2-2 pitch just inside the bag down the left-field line for a leadoff double. He moved over to third on a groundout to second by senior center fielder Reggie Watson before scoring on a chopper to the second baseman by junior shortstop Josh Richardson.
Purdue pulled even in the top of the second with back-to-back two-out doubles by Jeff Mojzik and Jordan Comadena. Indiana regained the lead in the bottom of the inning on a deep solo homer to right by Boswell. After fouling off a pair of pitches with two strikes, Boswell blasted his second home run in as many days.
Following the second, the pitching took over for both squads. After allowing the back-to-back doubles in the second, Lewis retired 10 straight Boilermaker batters, including a pair via the strikeout. Purdue starter Dan Sattler (3-4) struck out five batters over the next three innings.
The Hoosiers added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth thanks in large part to the speed of Watson. The Cincinnati native led off the inning with a line drive single to right field. He then stole second and moved over to third when the throw from catcher Jeff Mojzik ended up in short right-center field. Watson trotted home on a sacrifice fly to left by Boswell.
Purdue finally got to Lewis in the top of the sixth. After a leadoff walk to Mitch Hilligoss, the Boilers followed with back-to-back singles by first baseman Eric Wolfe and third baseman John Hunter to score their second run of the game. Freshman southpaw Joe Vicini came on for IU and struck out the lone batter he faced before sophomore right-hander Chris McCombs retired the final two batters of the inning after Purdue loaded the bases on a single to left by right fielder Neal Gorka.
In the top of the seventh, the Boilermakers appeared to be in business following a leadoff walk to Comadena. However, McCombs settled down and stuck out the side to notch his third save of the season with a scoreless seventh.
Lewis won his third game of the season with five strong innings of work. He allowed five hits while striking out three Boilers and walking only one. McCombs pitched the final 1 2/3 innings scoreless with four punchouts.
Offensively, junior first baseman Michael Nilles finished a perfect 3-for-3 on the day with a trio of singles, while Watson stole a pair of bases to bring his season total to 23.
In game two, the Boilermakers crossed home plate three times in the first and held on the rest of the way for a three-run victory. The Hoosiers brought the tying run to the plate in both the sixth and seventh innings, but right-hander Chris Toneguzzi shut the door in both frames en route to his second save of the season.
Following an RBI single by third baseman John Hunter and a two-run double by center fielder Ryne White, Purdue took a 3-0 lead heading into the home half of the first. The Hoosiers bounced back the next half inning with a solo tally as senior left fielder Jay Brant opened the frame with a leadoff single and stole second with one down for junior shortstop Josh Richardson, who sliced a base hit into left-center field to drive in Brant.
After the Boilers got that run back in the second, Purdue starter Brent Coudron (3-3) and Indiana reliever Joe Vicini matched zeroes until the fifth. First baseman Eric Wolfe doubled in shortstop Mitch Hilligoss to make it a four-run ballgame.
IU responded with one of its own in the bottom of the inning when junior second baseman Keith Haas walked, and junior first baseman Michael Nilles and sophomore catcher Jon Fixler collected back-to-back singles to load the bases. Brant followed with an RBI groundout but Coudron escaped without any further harm, rolling an inning-ending double play to keep the Boilermakers in front, 5-2.
In relief of Vicini, freshman right-hander Tyler Tufts and sophomore righty David Trager did not allow a run over the final two innings. Trager entered in the top of the seventh with a runner on third and nobody out and retired the next three batters in order to give IU one final opportunity in its final at-bat.
Fixler turned in a 2-for-2 effort, while Brant added one hit, an RBI and a run to go along with his 16th stolen base of the season.
The Hoosiers look to take the four-game series in an Easter matinee on Sunday, April 16. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. (EST) at Sembower Field.
