Bats Come Alive, DeNato Rolls in IU Win

Friday, February 21

Surprise, Ariz.<br>(Surprise Stadium)

9:00 PM

Indiana University

2-3

Washington

2-2-1

Washington

Indiana

2/22/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Feb. 21, 2014

Final Stats

SURPRISE, Ariz. - Indiana's lineup awoke with 15 hits Friday night against Washington, resulting in a season-high eight runs. Joey DeNato tossed another gem and the 10th-ranked Hoosiers (2-3) posted an 8-2 victory over the Huskies (2-2-1).

DeNato ran his consecutive streak of not allowing an earned run to 19.1 innings en route to his second win in as many weekends. His final line read: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K. Sophomore Scott Effross took care of the final three frames, earning the sixth save of his career. DeNato's 26th career win ranks second all-time at IU while Effross moved into the career saves top-10. Effross offered up just two baserunners in his three-inning shift.

Eight of nine starters either scored a run or drove in a run, highlighted by Kyle Schwarber's 4-for-5 day that included a three-run homer and three runs scored. Add on a successful pick-off at second base from behind the dish and it was an all-around effort from the Hoosier backstop. He came up a double shy of recording a cycle. The last Hoosier to post a cycle was the Chicago White Sox' Josh Phegley back in 2008.

Scott Donley drove in a pair while Sam Travis, Brad Hartong and Casey Smith each brought in a tally.

Schwarber got the party started right away, powering a 0-2 pitch high off the right field wall for a stand-up triple. Four straight singles followed, pushing the Hoosiers out in front 3-0.

After Washington notched the next two runs of the contest, Indiana carded another three-run inning in the sixth. Will Nolden led off by stretching a single into a double. He then moved over to third base on Casey Rodrigue's single through the right side. Next up was Schwarber, pulverizing a frozen rope liner into the party deck located beyond the right-center field wall. The three-run bomb inflated IU's advantage to 6-2.

Schwarber blistered another offering in the eighth, driving it up the middle for a one-out single. Fellow Baseball America cover boy, Sam Travis, brought him around two pitches later with a three-bagger of his own. A sac fly by Donley escorted Travis the final 90 feet to the dish for the 8-2 finally tally.

Indiana is back at it Saturday facing Utah (2-3) for a 4 pm MT/6 pm ET first pitch.