Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Minnesota
Indiana Unable to Overcome Minnesota Pitching in Series Opener
5/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 19, 2006
Box Score
MINNEAPOLIS - Opening its final Big Ten series of the 2006 campaign at the Metrodome, the Indiana baseball team fell to Minnesota, 6-1, on May 19. The Hoosiers are now 11-18 in league play (22-31 overall), while the Golden Gophers reached the .500 mark in conference action at 14-14 (28-24 overall).
Gopher starter Cole DeVries (6-3) pitched around eight Hoosier hits as he picked up his third complete game of the season. In addition to surrendering one earned run, the right-hander struck out eight with only one walk.
Offensively for IU, junior shortstop Keith Haas, sophomore catcher Jon Fixler and freshman right fielder Andrew Means each collected two hits in four at-bats. Means also added a pair of stolen bases to give him 14 in 16 attempts this year.
Minnesota strung together four straight hits to start the second with shortstop Dan Lyons and right fielder Sean Kommerstad adding RBI singles to make it 2-0. With runners still on the corners and nobody down, senior southpaw Clint Crosier (3-6) received some help from his defense to keep it a two-run ballgame.
Junior first baseman Ben Greenspan made a sliding catch in foul territory to retire catcher Chris Herbert for the first out and after gloving center fielder Matt Nohelty's flyball to left field, senior Jay Brant immediately came up firing to Fixler. As Lyons slid past the plate, Fixler applied the tag and the home plate umpire called Lyons out, ruling he never touched home.
A run-scoring base knock by third baseman Nate Hanson pushed the Gopher lead to 3-0 in the third and it could have been more, but Haas started an inning-ending, 6-4-3 double play to escape a bases-loaded jam.
The IU offense built on the momentum provided by the defense the next half inning as senior designated hitter Zach Boswell hit a rocket that bounced into the left-center field bleachers for a leadoff two-bagger. Fixler followed with a shot backing left fielder Tony Leseman to the wall, allowing Boswell to tag and rumble into third. Greenspan then brought Boswell in with a groundout to second baseman Luke MacLean to cut the deficit to 3-1.
Sophomore right-hander David Trager started the fourth and kept the Gophers in check the next three frames, letting the Hoosiers put the tying runners on with two down in the seventh. Means laced a single into right-center, stole second and two batters later, Haas reached on an infield hit. DeVries then delivered a wicked 0-2, off-speed pitch to strike out senior center fielder Reggie Watson and head into the bottom of the seventh with a two-run edge.
In that half inning, Minnesota took advantage of Indiana's missed opportunity and broke the game open. Lyons recorded his second RBI hit of the evening, and pinch-hitter Bryan Jost ripped a one-out base knock into right-center to plate two for the final 6-1 margin.
The teams return to the diamond for a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 20. Game one will be televised on Fox Sports Net North. Check your local listings to see if the game will be shown in your area.
