Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Ohio State
Hoosiers Comeback Not Enough in 8-6 Defeat to Buckeyes
4/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 23, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Facing the Big Ten's ERA leader, the Indiana baseball team stormed back from an 8-0 deficit with six runs in the eighth inning only to fall to Ohio State, 8-6, at Sembower Field on April 23. In the finale of the four-game set, the Hoosiers dipped to 5-11 in the Big Ten (14-23 overall), while the Buckeyes improved to 9-7 in the league (24-12 overall).
Buckeye southpaw J.B. Shuck (6-1) dominated through the first seven innings before IU mounted a six-run rally with two outs in the eighth. With runners on first and second, an error by third baseman Ronnie Bourquin loaded the bases and opened the floodgates. Junior second baseman Keith Haas promptly made OSU pay with a two-run base knock back through the box.
After Shuck walked senior pinch-hitter Zach Boswell to reload the bases, right-hander Rory Meister entered the ballgame and missed on a 3-2 delivery to walk freshman right fielder Andrew Means and allow sophomore pinch-runner Tyler Cox to score. Two pitches later, sophomore pinch-hitter Jon Fixler cleared the bags with a double into the left-field corner to make it an 8-6 game.
Freshman reliever Tyler Tufts, who pitched two scoreless innings, retired the Buckeyes in order in the top of the ninth, giving the Hoosiers an opportunity in their final at-bat. With Meister remaining on the hill, senior center fielder Reggie Watson led off the inning with a groundball into right field, while freshman designated hitter Cameron Satterwhite served a single into center two batters later.
However, Meister settled down and struck out Cox before getting Haas to ground into a fielder's choice to close out a wild finish and the series.
Although IU crossed the plate six times in the eighth, Shuck did not allow an earned run in 7 2/3. The freshman surrendered eight hits with four bases on balls and four punchouts. Meister went the rest of the way and gave up one unearned run on three hits, one walk and two strikeouts.
Watson finished the afternoon 2-for-5 with one run, while junior catcher Ben Greenspan continued his torrid pace with a 2-for-4 effort.
Indiana remained in the game despite falling behind 8-0 through four innings behind the work of its bullpen. Sophomore right-hander Doug Fleenor tossed 1 1/3 innings, making way for junior righty Matt Saba, who faced seven batters in two frames.
Saba gave up just two hits and nothing else, while Tufts relieved him to start the eighth. The Sagamore Hills, Ohio product was perfect, save for an error, and struck out a pair of batters.
The Buckeyes took advantage of one Hoosier error, two passed balls and a double played into a triple to score four runs in the top of the first. The following inning a triple by first baseman Eric Fryer knocked in pinch-runner Jonathan Zizzo, and OSU extended its lead to 6-0 when Bourquin crossed home on a wild pitch.
After Fryer struck again with a two-run homer in the fourth, IU flashed some leather in the fifth. Means robbed shortstop Jedidiah Stephen off a home run, reaching over the right-field fence to bring back Stephen's blast. Designated hitter Adam Schneider followed with a rocket back up the middle, but Haas made a diving stab to his right, jumped to his feet and made a perfect throw to first to nab Schneider.
In the bottom half of the inning, Indiana threatened when junior first baseman Michael Nilles ripped a leadoff single into center field and Means beat out an infield hit. Sophomore third baseman David Trager then laid down a bunt to move the runners up 90 feet, but Shuck escaped the jam without any damage.
Up next, the Hoosiers wrap up their 10-game homestand with an afternoon matinee against the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks on Tuesday, April 25, at 3 p.m.
