Hoosiers Fall to Pacific in Ninth Inning, 2-1

Friday, March 9

Bloomington, Ind.

3 p.m.

Indiana University

9-4

Pacific

7-8

Pacific

Indiana

3/9/2018 6:46:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By Andy Graham
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - A great start spoiled.

Indiana junior Jonathan Stiever struck out a career-high 12 through eight strong innings Friday but Hoosier mental errors gifted Pacific a run in the ninth as the Tigers emerged 2-1 victors.

Pacific freshman Shelby Lackey made it a pitching duel, matching Stiever's effectiveness in limiting IU to four hits and a single run through seven. And the Tigers out-hit the host Hoosiers 8-5 for the game.

But errant IU defense and base-running more directly affected the outcome than either team's bats.

Indiana reliever Cal Krueger got the first two hitters he faced in the top of the ninth before Lucas Halstead worked a walk. Carter Hayes followed with a single and, suddenly, a threat loomed.

Keaton Glover, after fouling off several nasty pitches from Krueger, then hit a sharp one-hopper to the hole at short. IU's Jeremy Houston – a splendid defensive shortstop his entire career – chose not to go to second. And hesitation made his throw to first late.

Pinch-runner Wyatt Hoffman, in for Halstead, never stopped running. IU still had a good chance to get Hoffman at the plate, but Elijah Dunham's hurried throw from first bounced and catcher Ryan Fineman wasn't able to corral the ball in time to get Hoffman.

"I've got to go back and see it (on film)," IU coach Chris Lemonis said post-game. "I still don't know what happened."

Hoosier hopes revived quickly after that painful sequence when Matt Lloyd, capping a 4-for-4 day at the plate, rocketed a leadoff double to start the Hoosier ninth. Freshman pinch-runner Justin Walker entered for Lloyd.

After a Luke Miller groundout to short that kept Walker at second, Tiger closer Cooper Casad picked Walker off second, then struck out IU cleanup hitter Logan Sowers to end it.

"We've just got to be better with our technique," Lemonis said of the base-running miscue. "I mean, we're trying to steal a bag there, and sometimes you get picked off when you're trying to steal, but in this scenario you can't get picked off.

"(Walker) just hasn't been out there too much. He's going to be a great player. Tough play."

Especially tough because IU really didn't have many scoring chances to waste. Aside from Lloyd, the Hoosiers went 1-for-25, with Logan Kaletha supplying the only other hit.

"It's disappointing. From an offensive perspective, we just haven't shown up this week," Lemonis said, also referencing Tuesday's 8-3 loss to Cincinnati. "We'd been really good all year and, all of a sudden, just nothing.

"Not just (lack of) hits, but not execution, either. Not getting a bunt down. Getting picked off. Not advancing runners. It's the difference in the game. Jon Stiever pitched his heart out."

Stiever struck out at least one batter in every inning he worked.

"It was awesome … he really dominated today," Lloyd said of Stiever. "That's what you look for from your Friday night guy. That's just Jon."

Pacific (7-8) still managed to manufacture a run in the first. After falling behind 0-2 in the count, Bradley Jekich worked a leadoff walk, stole second with two outs, then scored on James Free's ground single to right.

IU (9-4) nearly equalized in its half of the frame. Lloyd drove a one-out double to the wall in left center, and took third when Luke Miller reached on a wild-pitch third strike, but the Tigers then turned a 4-6-3 double-play –- the first of three twin-killings for their defense on the day – to thwart the threat.

Miller supplied a defensive highlight in the top of the third as he backhanded a high hopper down the line and unleashed a strong one-hop throw to first that got Jekich by a step.

IU got its run in the third via a couple of well-placed batted balls. Logan Kaletha blooped a two-out double right down the rightfield line, then Lloyd got sawed off but was strong enough to muscle it down the leftfield line for a game-tying RBI double.

Another nice back-hand play by Miller at third gots IU out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth generated by a Halstread single, a perfect bunt single by Glover and a hit batsman.

Lackey, who improved his record to 3-0 on the season, was keeping Hoosier bats quiet meantime.

"He was good," Lemonis said of Lackey. "We've faced two (straight) two-seamer, sinker kind of guys this week. They've had us beating it into the ground. I think we've hit into about six or seven double-plays this week.

"But that's our fault. You have to know what they're trying to do, and make some things happen. But, yeah, he was pretty good. Real competitive."

So was Stiever, who pitched out of a 2-on, 2-out situation in the eighth before giving way to Krueger.

"He's got good stuff, but he's also got great command," Lemonis said of Stiever. "He's got real good command of the zone, so he's one of the better strike-throwers out there. But I thought he had good stuff tonight, too."

Stiever, who had often pitched in tough luck during successful IU trips to Florida and California as the Hoosiers raced to a 9-2 start this season, was happy to get better results Friday. Just not happy with the final result.

"I was able to get ahead (in the count) for the most part, besides the first inning," Stiever said. "It's a lot easier to pitch when you're ahead in the count and let the defense play behind you."

And the defense played well. Till the fatal ninth.

"I mean, we all really wanted to win that game," Stiever said. "It sucks, kinda."

IU and Pacific will meet again at 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.