Friday, April 27
Bloomington, Ind.
6:05 p.m.
Indiana University
29-10, 0
2
vs
3
Illinois
25-12, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Illinois
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
0
0
3
9
0
Indiana
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
6
0
No. 12 Indiana Drops Opener to Illinois, 3-2
4/27/2018 10:19:00 PM | Baseball
By: Andy Graham
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - It is the slimmest of margins.
But still fatal.
Indiana's baseball Hoosiers dropped their fourth straight game with Friday night's 3-2 loss to Illinois, their third one-run defeat during that skid.
(The lone exception was Wednesday's 5-3 setback at Purdue that, among other ill omens, featured IU's Matt Lloyd's scorching liner with the bases loaded that turned into a double-play.)
"It's been a tough week and a half, coming up on the short side," IU coach Chris Lemonis said. "We played a pretty clean game with pitching and defense.
"We're just leaving some guys out there (on base) and we're pressing a little bit now (and) we haven't pressed all year. You've got to relax and put balls in play. In this game the harder you try, the less you get. Somebody's got to get a big hit with runners out there to get some things going."
The host Hoosiers (29-10 overall, 7-5 in Big Ten play) got a few things going early but couldn't score after a two-run first.
IU got a leadoff walk from Logan Kaletha, a turf-aided infield single from Logan Sowers and a high-hopping RBI single to right by Ryan Fineman to start the scoring in the first.
Sowers then beat the throw home on Scotty Bradley's fielder's choice to make it 2-0.
Meantime, IU junior starter Jonathan Stiever was perfect through three innings. He touched 97 miles-per-hour on the radar gun and fanning six of the first nine Illini he faced.
But Illinois (25-12, 10-3) suddenly got to Stiever for a run in the fourth.
Ben Troike grounded a single up the middle for the first Illini hit. A walk to Ben Spillane ensued, followed by a RBI single to right by Michael Massey.
Thus ended a scintillating streak of 22 1/3 straight scoreless innings for Stiever.
After a scoreless fifth, the Illini then developed an impressive habit of starting every inning with a double for three consecutive frames.
Back-to-back doubles to right-center by Troike and Spillane led off the Illinois sixth and tied the game.
Illinois then took a lead it would make stand up in the seventh. Michael Michalak doubled to left and scored on Zach Taylor's lined RBI single to right on a 2-strike pitch.
After Stiever exited, having struck out nine batters in 6 2/3, B.J. Sabol defused a bases-loaded threat by inducing a pop-up to end the seventh, then pitched around Doran Turchin's leadoff double in the eighth.
But while he and Andrew Saalfrank held the fort out of the bullpen, IU couldn't get its bats going.
Indiana did get a lined one-out single from Justin Walker and a Logan Kaletha walk in its half of the seventh, but a 6-4-3 double play ended the threat and marked IU's 13th groundout of the game (a number that finished at 16).
Illinois starter Andy Fisher had his sinker going through 6 1/3 strong innings.
"It's a lot of sink," Lemonis said of the action on Fisher's pitches. "That ball was moving all over the place. That's why we tried to bunt a little bit early. Just trying to get some things going because there's a lot of double plays out there."
Ryan Thompson came in to induce the double-play ball that ended the IU seventh, then pitched a scoreless eighth.
Illini closer Joey Gerber came in to pitch the ninth and after a pair of strikeouts, got IU pinch-hitter Luke Miller (making his first appearance since April 6 while dealing with a foot injury) to lift a fly ball to center.
It should have been IU's lone flyout of the night but Illinois centerfielder Taylor lost the ball above the lights and it turned into a double.
But the Hoosiers' new life was short-lived as Gerber posted another strikeout to end it.
"It's a little frustrating," Lemonis said of the recent skid. "It's part of the game. We just have to keep fighting through it. We haven't faced adversity all year. Now, in the last four games, we have a little adversity. Hopefully we can fight out of it."
IU's first chance to do so comes at 2:05 p.m. today as the series with Illinois continues. The Hoosiers' normal Saturday starter, junior Pauly Milto, remains sidelined with arm soreness.
Lemonis will start Cam Beauchamp on the mound Saturday, with Tim Herrin slated to open Sunday's 2:05 p.m. contest (a BTN telecast).
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - It is the slimmest of margins.
But still fatal.
Indiana's baseball Hoosiers dropped their fourth straight game with Friday night's 3-2 loss to Illinois, their third one-run defeat during that skid.
(The lone exception was Wednesday's 5-3 setback at Purdue that, among other ill omens, featured IU's Matt Lloyd's scorching liner with the bases loaded that turned into a double-play.)
"It's been a tough week and a half, coming up on the short side," IU coach Chris Lemonis said. "We played a pretty clean game with pitching and defense.
"We're just leaving some guys out there (on base) and we're pressing a little bit now (and) we haven't pressed all year. You've got to relax and put balls in play. In this game the harder you try, the less you get. Somebody's got to get a big hit with runners out there to get some things going."
The host Hoosiers (29-10 overall, 7-5 in Big Ten play) got a few things going early but couldn't score after a two-run first.
IU got a leadoff walk from Logan Kaletha, a turf-aided infield single from Logan Sowers and a high-hopping RBI single to right by Ryan Fineman to start the scoring in the first.
Sowers then beat the throw home on Scotty Bradley's fielder's choice to make it 2-0.
Meantime, IU junior starter Jonathan Stiever was perfect through three innings. He touched 97 miles-per-hour on the radar gun and fanning six of the first nine Illini he faced.
But Illinois (25-12, 10-3) suddenly got to Stiever for a run in the fourth.
Ben Troike grounded a single up the middle for the first Illini hit. A walk to Ben Spillane ensued, followed by a RBI single to right by Michael Massey.
Thus ended a scintillating streak of 22 1/3 straight scoreless innings for Stiever.
After a scoreless fifth, the Illini then developed an impressive habit of starting every inning with a double for three consecutive frames.
Back-to-back doubles to right-center by Troike and Spillane led off the Illinois sixth and tied the game.
Illinois then took a lead it would make stand up in the seventh. Michael Michalak doubled to left and scored on Zach Taylor's lined RBI single to right on a 2-strike pitch.
After Stiever exited, having struck out nine batters in 6 2/3, B.J. Sabol defused a bases-loaded threat by inducing a pop-up to end the seventh, then pitched around Doran Turchin's leadoff double in the eighth.
But while he and Andrew Saalfrank held the fort out of the bullpen, IU couldn't get its bats going.
Indiana did get a lined one-out single from Justin Walker and a Logan Kaletha walk in its half of the seventh, but a 6-4-3 double play ended the threat and marked IU's 13th groundout of the game (a number that finished at 16).
Illinois starter Andy Fisher had his sinker going through 6 1/3 strong innings.
"It's a lot of sink," Lemonis said of the action on Fisher's pitches. "That ball was moving all over the place. That's why we tried to bunt a little bit early. Just trying to get some things going because there's a lot of double plays out there."
Ryan Thompson came in to induce the double-play ball that ended the IU seventh, then pitched a scoreless eighth.
Illini closer Joey Gerber came in to pitch the ninth and after a pair of strikeouts, got IU pinch-hitter Luke Miller (making his first appearance since April 6 while dealing with a foot injury) to lift a fly ball to center.
It should have been IU's lone flyout of the night but Illinois centerfielder Taylor lost the ball above the lights and it turned into a double.
But the Hoosiers' new life was short-lived as Gerber posted another strikeout to end it.
"It's a little frustrating," Lemonis said of the recent skid. "It's part of the game. We just have to keep fighting through it. We haven't faced adversity all year. Now, in the last four games, we have a little adversity. Hopefully we can fight out of it."
IU's first chance to do so comes at 2:05 p.m. today as the series with Illinois continues. The Hoosiers' normal Saturday starter, junior Pauly Milto, remains sidelined with arm soreness.
Lemonis will start Cam Beauchamp on the mound Saturday, with Tim Herrin slated to open Sunday's 2:05 p.m. contest (a BTN telecast).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Fisher, Andy (4-1)
L: Stiever, Jonathan (5-2)
S: Gerber, Joey (13)
Batting:
2B: Troike, Ben 1 ; Spillane, Bren 1 ; Turchin, Doran 1 ; Michalak, Michael 1
RBI: Taylor, Zac 1 ; Spillane, Bren 1 ; Massey, Michael 1
SH: Yalowitz, Jack 1 ; Van Scoy, Grant 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Troike, Ben 2 ; Michalak, Michael 1
Batting:
2B: Miller, Luke 1
RBI: Fineman , Ryan 1 ; Bradley, Scotty 1
SH: Gorski, Matt 1 ; Ashley, Drew 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kaletha, Logan 1 ; Sowers, Logan 1
SB: Eustace, Laren 1 ; Walker, Justin 1
CS: Houston, Jeremy 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
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H
2
RBI
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AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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