Indiana University Athletics
FIxler's Big Day Leads IU Past Iowa, 10-5
5/7/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 7, 2006
Box Score
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Sophomore catcher Jon Fixler drove in a career-high five runs as the Indiana baseball team took the final contest of its four-game set against Iowa, 10-5, at Sembower Field on May 7. The Hoosiers scored in each of the first seven innings to improve to 18-28 (8-16 Big Ten), while the Hawkeyes fell to 21-26 (10-14 Big Ten).
Indiana collected 12 hits and stole six bases in six attempts on the afternoon. Fixler led the way with a 3-for-4 effort to go along with one run and one steal. Back in center field, senior Reggie Watson added a 2-for-5 performance with two runs and two steals (his team-leading 30th in 35 tries), while junior shortstop Josh Richardson went 2-for-4 with one RBI, two runs and a stolen base.
Fixler lifted a sacrifice fly to knock in Haas as IU grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first. Junior second baseman Keith Haas, returning to action after sitting out yesterday with an injury, led off the frame with a walk and advanced to third on a single by Watson to set up Fixler.
After the Hawkeyes tacked on an unearned solo tally the next half inning, they loaded the bases with two down. Hoosier starter Tyler Tufts fell behind second baseman Travis Sweet 2-0 before coming back to retire Sweet swinging to keep it tied.
Indiana continued the scoring trend when Richardson laced a base hit into left to open the second. Richardson moved to second on an errant pickoff attempt by Iowa starter Steve Turnbull (1-1) and scampered to third on a passed ball. Senior first baseman Ryan Parker followed with a groundout to short to bring home Richardson for a 2-1 Hoosier advantage.
Fixler struck again in the third as IU put two more on the board for a three-run edge. Watson led off with a double and swiped third, where he stood when Fixler delivered a two-out base knock into left-center field. Following a base on balls, right-hander Chase Stephens relieved Turnbull and immediately surrendered an RBI single to Richardson, allowing Fixler to score Indiana's fourth run of the afternoon.
Freshman right fielder Andrew Means started the fourth with a triple to the right-center field gap and came in when Haas dumped a ball in front of right fielder Jeff Engel as the Hoosiers extended their lead to 5-1.
Catcher Dusty Napoleon launched his second home run of the season over the right-field fence to slice the Hoosier advantage in half before Means recorded his second triple of the ballgame in the fifth. Richardson scored on the play to give right-hander reliever Doug Fleenor a three-run cushion.
Means two triples matched the school record for individual triples in a game. Former Hoosier All-American Mike Smith originally set the record with a pair against Cincinnati on April 10, 1991, while Watson laced two three-baggers vs. Purdue (April 16) and junior Steve Head recorded a pair of triples vs. Fairfield (March 15) earlier this season. Means finished the contest 2-for-5 with one RBI and one run.
Fleenor came in with two down in the fifth and retired the final two batters of the inning as well as getting out of a first-and-second, no-out jam in the sixth, setting the stage for Fixler in the home half of the frame. With runners on first and third and one down, the Riverwoods, Ill., product collected his third RBI of the ballgame with a chopper over the head of third baseman Kevin Hoef, plating senior left fielder Jay Brant.
Sophomore third baseman Tyler Cox then blooped a ball over Hoef's head, letting junior designated hitter Ben Greenspan trot home for an 8-3 edge.
Iowa did manage to scratch a run across in the seventh, but Fixler responded with a two-out, two-run base hit in the bottom of the inning to drive in Haas and Watson to give the Hoosiers their largest lead of the day at 10-4.
The Hawkeyes added an unearned run in the eighth and loaded the bases with two down in the ninth before Fleenor got shortstop Jason White to fly out to Brant to end the ballgame.
Fleenor (3-2) earned his third victory of the season by tossing the final 4 2/3 innings. The Richmond, Ind., native allowed just one earned run with one walk and three punchouts.
Along with capturing his 21st stolen base, Haas scored twice and Brant added one run and netted his 23rd steal in 27 tries this season.
Up next, IU heads to Gary, Ind., for a game under the lights against Valparaiso at 7:05 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, May 10. The contest will be held at U.S. Steel Yard, home of the Northern League Gary SouthShore RailCats.
