Indiana University Athletics
Hart’s Gem Spoiled In Pitchers’ Duel
5/13/2016 10:57:00 PM | Baseball
By: Sam Beishuizen | Twitter
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Kyle Hart got just about everything he wanted against Illinois in his final start at Bart Kaufman Field Friday. The only thing missing was the W.
Hart was on the losing end of a 2-1 extra-inning pitchers' duel against Illini ace Cody Sedlock that lasted 11 innings. Hart's lone costly mistake—a fastball left in the zone for Illinois' Pat McInerney to blast over the wall in right-center field—kept him out of the win column even after one of his most dominant starts of the season.
"It's funny, right?" Hart said. "There's been a few games this year where I've pitched so-so and got a win. That's kind of how it falls."
Hart allowed one lone run off four hits and one walk over eight innings of work before leaving the mound in a 1-1 tie.
Illini second baseman Michael Hurwitz singled down the left field line off Thomas Belcher in the 11th inning to plate the winning run in third baseman Trent Hammond, spoiling Hart's gem and giving Sedlock a win after allowing just one run and striking out 12 Hoosiers over 9.1 innings pitched.
"It's just a great college baseball game, just on both sides," Indiana head coach Chris Lemonis said. "It would have been a waste of their guys' start too, I think. Just two great college pitchers in a great environment. A great college game."
Hart's fruitless outing was a case of one dominant pitcher running into another.
Both starters gave up their lone runs in the fourth inning, Sedlock on an RBI single by IU freshman outfielder Luke Miller to plate fellow freshman catcher Ryan Fineman and Hart on the solo shot off a pitch he said he shouldn't have thrown inside to McInerney.
"To be honest with you, had I just thrown a fastball away there we'd be at 30 wins," Hart said, shouldering more than his fair share of the loss. The solo shot was one of the few balls to go anywhere in an otherwise quiet game.
Hart's dominance came in the way he limited any sort of damage. He threw 75 of his career-high 112 pitches for strikes, getting ahead in counts early and inducing weak contact on balls the Illini could keep up with and blowing strikes by on the ones they couldn't.
Sedlock was more methodical, scattering hits and grinding through the innings. There was a noticeable amount of professional scouts on hand with radar guns sitting behind home plate trying to get a look at the likely high-end junior draft pick, and when he left in the 10th inning, many of the 2,918 fans in attendance rose to their feet and applauded the visiting pitcher off the field.
"That kid's certainly pretty good, probably one of the better starting pitchers I've seen in the Big Ten in several years," Hart said. "To be honest with you, it was a pretty good finish for me at home to go toe-to-toe with such a good pitcher as Cody."
Hart will have one more regular-season start next week against Nebraska to pick up his 11th win on the season, which would be the 19th Big Ten victory of his career. Should he do that, he'll tie close friend Joey Denato for the program record for wins in the conference.
Hart said he tried not let himself think much about Friday's start being his last at Bart Kaufman Field, but he couldn't help himself. He'll leave with memories of NCAA Tournament runs and his share of wins, including the last one that could have been but wasn't.
"I took in a couple of moments, you know?" Hart said. "I took in more the last few innings of the game. Two more games at home for me. It's not so much about being on the mound all the time, it's about being in the dugout and hopefully enjoying two wins."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Kyle Hart got just about everything he wanted against Illinois in his final start at Bart Kaufman Field Friday. The only thing missing was the W.
Hart was on the losing end of a 2-1 extra-inning pitchers' duel against Illini ace Cody Sedlock that lasted 11 innings. Hart's lone costly mistake—a fastball left in the zone for Illinois' Pat McInerney to blast over the wall in right-center field—kept him out of the win column even after one of his most dominant starts of the season.
"It's funny, right?" Hart said. "There's been a few games this year where I've pitched so-so and got a win. That's kind of how it falls."
Hart allowed one lone run off four hits and one walk over eight innings of work before leaving the mound in a 1-1 tie.
Illini second baseman Michael Hurwitz singled down the left field line off Thomas Belcher in the 11th inning to plate the winning run in third baseman Trent Hammond, spoiling Hart's gem and giving Sedlock a win after allowing just one run and striking out 12 Hoosiers over 9.1 innings pitched.
"It's just a great college baseball game, just on both sides," Indiana head coach Chris Lemonis said. "It would have been a waste of their guys' start too, I think. Just two great college pitchers in a great environment. A great college game."
Hart's fruitless outing was a case of one dominant pitcher running into another.
Both starters gave up their lone runs in the fourth inning, Sedlock on an RBI single by IU freshman outfielder Luke Miller to plate fellow freshman catcher Ryan Fineman and Hart on the solo shot off a pitch he said he shouldn't have thrown inside to McInerney.
"To be honest with you, had I just thrown a fastball away there we'd be at 30 wins," Hart said, shouldering more than his fair share of the loss. The solo shot was one of the few balls to go anywhere in an otherwise quiet game.
Hart's dominance came in the way he limited any sort of damage. He threw 75 of his career-high 112 pitches for strikes, getting ahead in counts early and inducing weak contact on balls the Illini could keep up with and blowing strikes by on the ones they couldn't.
Sedlock was more methodical, scattering hits and grinding through the innings. There was a noticeable amount of professional scouts on hand with radar guns sitting behind home plate trying to get a look at the likely high-end junior draft pick, and when he left in the 10th inning, many of the 2,918 fans in attendance rose to their feet and applauded the visiting pitcher off the field.
"That kid's certainly pretty good, probably one of the better starting pitchers I've seen in the Big Ten in several years," Hart said. "To be honest with you, it was a pretty good finish for me at home to go toe-to-toe with such a good pitcher as Cody."
Hart will have one more regular-season start next week against Nebraska to pick up his 11th win on the season, which would be the 19th Big Ten victory of his career. Should he do that, he'll tie close friend Joey Denato for the program record for wins in the conference.
Hart said he tried not let himself think much about Friday's start being his last at Bart Kaufman Field, but he couldn't help himself. He'll leave with memories of NCAA Tournament runs and his share of wins, including the last one that could have been but wasn't.
"I took in a couple of moments, you know?" Hart said. "I took in more the last few innings of the game. Two more games at home for me. It's not so much about being on the mound all the time, it's about being in the dugout and hopefully enjoying two wins."
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