Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Charlotte
Hoosiers Fall to 49ers in Game Two
2/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 25, 2006
Box Score
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - On a cool and dreary afternoon at Tom & Lib Phillips Field, the Indiana baseball team dropped game two of a three-game series to Charlotte, 7-1, on Feb. 25. IU fell to 0-2 on the young season, while the preseason Atlantic 10 favorite improved to 6-2 overall and 6-1 at home this year.
Charlotte's Cory Lane opened game one with a lead-off homer on the first pitch he saw and today, Hoosier lead-off man Jay Brant, who finished the contest 3-for-4, returned the favor with a towering drive into the pine trees beyond the left-field fence. A carbon-copy of his eighth-inning homer in game one, Brant recorded his first career lead-off home run and gave IU its first lead of the series.
Indiana senior starter Josh Lewis left a pair of 49ers on in the first and stranded runners on the corners the next frame before Charlotte scratched across two runs in the third. Three singles loaded the bases with one out for catcher Kris Rochelle, who walked to score third baseman Aaron Bray. Left fielder Alan Parks followed with a line out to his counterpart, Brant, which enabled right fielder Spencer Steedley to come home for a 2-1 49ers' advantage.
A base hit by Bray plated Lane in the fourth and a three-run fifth extended the 49er lead to 6-1 heading into the sixth, where IU attempted to chip away. After Brant's long ball, Charlotte starter Keith Moreland retired 14 of the next 16 batters he faced until Billy O'Conner stepped to the plate. The freshman catcher laced his first collegiate base hit into left-center field.
Brant beat out an infield single, and junior second baseman Keith Haas dropped a perfect sacrifice bunt to move the runners up 90 feet, but reliever B.J. Hagen retired the next two batters to keep it a 6-1 ballgame.
An RBI single in the home half of the frame from Parks brought home Steedley with the final run of the afternoon.
In his season debut, Lewis (0-1) allowed three runs in 3 2/3 innings of work, while sophomore Billy Casper turned in an impressive outing in relief. Making his Hoosier debut, the right-hander pitched the final three scoreless innings and held the 49ers to two hits and two walks.
Charlotte's impressive pitching staff held the IU offense down again as Moreland threw 5 1/3 innings of one-run baseball. The sophomore right-hander surrendered five hits with no free passes and a pair of strikeouts en route to lowering his ERA to 1.74 and moving to a perfect 2-0. Hagen threw the final 3 2/3 for his second save of the season. The right-hander allowed only one walk and lowered his ERA to 0.75 this campaign. The 49ers' staff now owns a stingy 2.99 ERA in eight games.
Offensively, Bray closed out the afternoon 3-for-5 with two RBI and one run, and Steedley added a 2-for-3 effort with two runs scored.
On Sunday, Feb. 26, the two teams conclude the three-game set with a noon start time at Tom & Lib Phillips Field.
Game Notes
-Junior second baseman Keith Haas and freshman right fielder Andrew Means made their first collegiate starts. In addition, senior designated hitter Zach Boswell and junior third baseman Steve Head started for the first time this season.
-Senior left fielder Jay Brant's lead-off home run was the first of his career, his second of the season and the 12th of his career. It also is the second time Brant has hit a home run in back-to-back games. In 2004, Brant went deep against Iowa on April 18 and Miami (Ohio) on April 21.
-Charlotte sophomore starter Keith Moreland is from Silver Spring, Md., the same hometown as Hoosier junior shortstop Josh Richardson. Today's starting pitchers both hail from Maryland as IU senior right-hander Josh Lewis is from Mt. Airy. In addition, Indiana junior third baseman Steve Head is from Owings, Md.
-Senior left-hander Clint Crosier made his first appearance of the season out of the pen, relieving senior right-hander Josh Lewis with two outs in the fourth inning.
-Freshman catcher Billy O'Conner collected his first career hit with a lead-off single in the sixth.
-Sophomore Andy Casper made his Hoosier debut in the sixth. The right-hander relieved Clint Crosier with no outs and a runner on third.
