Hoosiers take First Game of Series from Indiana State, 7-5

Friday, March 25

Terre Haute, Ind.

6:00 P.M.

Indiana University

11-9

Indiana State

13-10

Indiana

Indiana State

Hoosiers take First Game of Series from Indiana State, 7-5

3/25/2016 9:59:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Indiana baseball (11-9) collected its fourth win in a row on Friday night, topping Indiana State in game one of a three game set, 7-5.

Senior Kyle Hart (5-1) picked up his Big Ten leading fifth victory of the season behind a night where the lefty scattered seven hits for five runs (three earned) and fanned three Sycamores. Indiana's bullpen was stellar in win, allowing no runs and just two hits in the final four innings, striking out seven collectively.

Senior Brian Wilhite made it two games in a row with a grand slam, which capped off a 2-for-4 night at the plate with a team-best four RBI. Juniors Austin Cangelosi and Craig Dedelow, along with freshman Scotty Bradley combined for the Hoosiers' three other runs, while sophomore Logan Sowers also collected two hits in the winning effort.

Indiana State took an initial 1-0 in the first inning after capitalizing off a Hoosier error, but Indiana stopped the bleeding at one courtesy of a strikeout and caught stealing double play.

Wilhite belted his second grand slam in as many games in the Hoosiers' half of the second inning. After Sowers singled to center to lead off the frame, Cangelosi and freshman Ryan Fineman each worked a walk to load the bases for Wilhite, who sent his shot to left.

The Sycamores responded with a solo shot of their own in the bottom half of the inning, and tacked on three more runs in the third with the help of Indiana's second error of the night. From there, Hart was untouchable as the retired the final six batters he faced through the fourth and fifth innings.

A two-run top of the sixth granted Indiana a lead it wouldn't relinquish. Back-to-back singles by freshman Luke Miller and Sowers set Cangelosi up for an RBI situation with his single to right-center on a hit-and-run, which plated Miller. A sacrifice fly by Bradley capped off the Hoosiers' scoring in the stanza. Indiana padded its lead in the top of the seventh with the help of a two-out triple by sophomore Laren Eustace, who scored on an RBI single by Dedlow to right field.

Indiana's bullpen allowed just the two hits in four scoreless innings. Freshman Paul Milto tossed two innings and helped preserve the Hoosiers' two-run lead and worked out of a jam in the sixth with a caught-looking strikeout. Junior Thomas Belcher worked around a hit in the eighth and set up junior Jake Kelzer for his first save of the season. Kelzer sat down all three Sycamores he faced and tallied back-to-back strikeouts to close the game.

Indiana and Indiana State continue their three-game series back home in Bloomington starting on Saturday with a first pitch time of 3:05 p.m.