Hoosiers Top Ball State, 4-3, to Earn Sixth-Straight Win

Wednesday, April 13

Bloomington, Ind.

6:05 P.M.

Indiana University

18-13

Ball State

21-13

Ball State

Indiana

Hoosiers Top Ball State, 4-3, to Earn Sixth-Straight Win

4/13/2016 9:34:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana baseball (18-13) used 12 hits to hand the Ball State Cardinals a 4-3 loss on Wednesday evening, snapping the Cardinals six-game win-streak. The Hoosiers have now won six in a row.

Junior Luke Stephenson got the nod for the Hoosiers, going the first three innings. Freshman Jonathan Stiever replaced Stephenson and went three innings, striking out five and retiring the final nine batters he faced. Junior Kent Williams tossed a scoreless seventh inning and picked up the win. Junior Thomas Belcher closed out the final 1.1 innings for save number five of the season.

Junior Austin Cangelosi drove in two of Indiana's four runs on a 3-for-4 night. Junior Tony Butler and freshman Ryan Fineman chipped in the Hoosiers' other two runs, while sophomore Isaiah Pasteur tagged Indiana's other multi-hit night, finishing 2-for-3 with a double.

Indiana utilized some two-out hitting to take the lead in the bottom of the second. With Pasuter at second base, senior Brian Wilhite extended the inning with a single through the middle. Butler then scored Pasteur with a ball sent back through to center field.

After initial trouble in the top of the third, Stiever settled down to freeze two in scoring position and keep the Cardinals' lead at two runs. He used two strikeouts to escape the inning, which began a streak of nine-straight Cardinals retired. Stiever picked up five strikeouts in that span.

Cangelosi chipped away at the Hoosiers' deficit with a solo shot to lead off the home half of the fourth. Pasteur and junior Alex Krupa singled in the frame but would be stranded.

The Hoosiers tied the game up in the bottom of the fifth, as Fineman took advantage of a two-base throwing error. He moved up to third by way of Luke Miller's groundout and came around to score on Cangelosi's RBI single to right field.

Junior Craig Dedelow nearly missed the go-ahead hit in the bottom of the sixth with a lineout to short, which stranded Pasteur, who double down the line in right, at third. Krupa made an over-the-shoulder diving catch to keep the game knotted at 3-3 in the seventh.

Fineman punched a double deep down the line in right field for the go-ahead run in the seventh. With the count full, Fineman extended his hitting-streak to 12 games and plated sophomore Logan Sowers, who walked to lead off the frame.

Belcher entered the game in the eighth and inherited a runner on second. He froze the lone batter he faced for the team's eighth strikeout of the game. He followed that up with a 1-2-3 ninth.

Indiana returns to Big Ten play this weekend by hosting the Iowa Hawkeyes for a three-game set. Game one is set for 6:05 p.m. on Friday.

Game Notes: Craig Dedelow increased his games with to 24 this season, current team-high… Austin Cangelosi's home run in the fourth inning was his fourth of the year and ninth of his career… This is Cangelosi's fourth multi-RBI game of the season, tied for second on the team… Ryan Fineman extended his hitting streak to 12 games and his reached base streak to 16 games, current team-high in both categories… The Hoosiers won their fourth-straight game by one run and it was their seventh one-run victory of the season… In relief, Kent Williams notched the second win of his career… With his fifth save of the season, Thomas Belcher surpassed his single-season high in saves, his previous was four saves in 2014.