Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Minnesota
Hoosier Bats Silent in Doubleheader Loss at Minnesota
5/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 20, 2006
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
MINNEAPOLIS - The Indiana baseball team (22-33, 11-20 Big Ten) could not muster any offense as Minnesota (30-24, 16-14 Big Ten) swept a doubleheader on May 20. The Hoosiers lost the opener, 3-1, and came up short in the second game, 5-1, at the Metrodome.
Golden Gopher hurler Brian Bull (6-4) carded his second complete game of the season and the second in three games for Minnesota pitchers. Bull surrendered four hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
For the third straight game, the Gophers broke through first with an unearned run in the opening inning. Minnesota extended its lead to 2-0 in the third when center fielder Matt Nohelty lined a ball that freshman right fielder Chris Hervey misplayed, resulting in a one-out triple. Second baseman Luke MacLean lifted the next pitch into center field to drive home Nohelty with a sacrifice fly.
The Golden Gophers took advantage of a Hoosier miscue to put runners on second and third with two down, but right-handed starter Doug Fleenor (4-3) forced designated hitter Bryan Jost to ground out to senior second baseman Jay Brant to keep the deficit at 2-0.
IU matched the solo tally with one of its own in the fourth. Senior center field Reggie Watson led off the frame with a walk, and junior shortstop Keith Haas lined a base hit into right field to move Watson to third. Sophomore catcher Jon Fixler then plated Watson on a fielder's choice to cut the Gopher lead in half.
Minnesota responded with two more in the fifth as sophomore third baseman Tyler Cox tripped on the turf and airmailed a ball into right field attempting to start an inning-ending, 5-4-3 double play with the base loaded. Two runs scored and it could have been worse had Fleenor not picked first baseman Mike Mee off third base and struck out Jost looking to end the threat.
Shortstop Dan Lyons ripped a single back up the middle to score third baseman Nate Hanson with the final run of the game.
En route to his third complete game of the season, Fleenor allowed two earned runs on seven hits with two Ks and a pair of free passes.
In game one, Minnesota starter Dustin Brabender carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning as the Golden Gophers downed the Hoosiers, 3-1. Senior center fielder Reggie Watson broke up the no-hit bid with a two-out base hit, but it was not enough as Brabender (5-5) gave up just two hits and struck out four in 6 2/3 innings. Southpaw Andy Peters retired the final batter of the contest to earn his sixth save of the season.
Center fielder Matt Nohelty led off the bottom of the first with an infield hit and stood on third following a steal and a sacrifice when first baseman Mike Mee doubled him home for the first run of the afternoon. The Gophers put men on first and third with two down for third baseman Nate Hanson, who hit a comebacker off the glove of Hoosier starter Josh Lewis (4-7), but junior shortstop Keith Haas gloved the ball off the carom and threw to first on the run to retire Hanson.
Minnesota made up for Haas' sterling play with a solo tally in each of the next two stanzas. Catcher Chris Herbert worked a two-out walk, swiped second and scored on a single by Nohelty for the second-inning tally. In the third, the Golden Gophers loaded the bases with nobody down but could only plate one run on a sacrifice fly by Hanson to push their lead to 3-0 through three innings.
Brabender retired the first 11 Hoosiers in order before senior designated hitter Zach Boswell worked a two-out walk in the fourth. The right-hander surrendered his second base on balls of the ballgame to sophomore third baseman Tyler Cox with one out in the sixth and got Haas to pop out in foul territory to Herbert when senior center fielder Reggie Watson stepped to the plate.
The Cincinnati native drilled a sinking liner in front of left fielder Tony Leseman to not only end the no-hitter but to place runners on first and third for Boswell. Two pitches later, Brabender balked in Cox to end his shutout bid, however, the right-hander enduced Boswell to fly out to Leseman as Minnesota held a 3-1 edge entering the bottom of the sixth.
In the final start of his career, Lewis pitched well after Hanson's third-inning sacrifice fly, facing the minimum over the final 12 batters en route to his third complete game of the season and the eighth of his career. The senior out of Mt. Airy, Md., gave up seven hits with one walk and one punchout.
Brabender simply out-dueled the Hoosier right-hander. He set down the first two batters in the seventh before freshman right fielder Andrew Means ripped a triple into the right-field corner. Peters entered the ballgame and struck out the only batter he faced as Minnesota took its second straight in the series and clinched a spot in the Big Ten Tournament.
Indiana concludes its season and the four-game set with a Sunday matinee against Minnesota at 1 p.m. CDT in the Metrodome.
