Indiana Sweeps Midweek with 9-3 Win over Butler

Wednesday, February 27

Bloomington, Ind.

3 p.m.

Indiana University

4-4

Butler

2-4

Butler

Indiana

Indiana Sweeps Midweek with 9-3 Win over Butler

2/27/2019 7:29:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana baseball (4-4) picked up its second-straight win with a 9-3 victory over the Butler Bulldogs on Wednesday afternoon.

The Hoosiers got a strong outing out of its pitching staff again, as freshman Gabe Bierman, junior Andrew Saalfrank, sophomore Connor Manous and freshman Braydon Tucker combined to allow five hits and one earned run.

Offensively, Senior Logan Kaletha and junior Matt Gorski each went deep in the win, while senior Ryan Fineman drove in three runs on a bases clearing double.

KEY MOMENTS
• Butler took the early lead in the top of the second. A base-hit and a walk put runners on first and second with no outs, which would lead to two runs scoring on a wild pitch and a passed ball.
• After sophomore Drew Ashley reached on an error and senior Wyatt Cross singled in the bottom of the third, junior Jeremy Houston's fielder's choice groundout put runners on the corners. From there, Gorski homered on a 3-0 pitch to right field to put the Hoosiers on top, 3-2.
• With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Gorski worked a two-out walk, stole second and then scored on a single up the middle by senior Logan Kaletha.
• In the bottom of the sixth, sophomore Cole Barr walked in the leadoff spot, stole second and scored on Ashley's RBI double down the left field line.
• Butler trimmed the lead to two runs in the top of the seventh as it successfully executed a double steal.
• Kaletha knocked out a solo home run in the in the bottom of the seventh to increase the lead to 6-3.
• Following Kaletha's home run, senior Matt Lloyd walked, Barr walked and Ashley was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Fineman found the right centerfield gap to clear the bases and give Indiana a six-run lead.

NOTES
• Bierman picked up his first career collegiate victory on the mound. The Jeffersonville, Ind., native struck out four over four innings, allowing one hit and one earned run.
• Indiana had another strong day out of its bullpen, as Saalfrank, Manous and Tucker combined for five innings, allowing four hits and no earned runs with three strikeouts and a walk.
• Over the last three games, Indiana's bullpen has surrendered just nine hits and one earned run in 15.2 innings.
• Gorski's home run in the bottom of the third was his third this season, all in consecutive games, and he now has 15 in his career.
• Kaletha's home run in the bottom of the seventh was his second of the year and the 10th of his IU career. The junior finished with two and two RBI.
• Ashley drove in Indiana's other run, as he finished 1-for-3 with the double and two runs scored.
• With his three RBIs today, Fineman has now driven in all six of his runs this season in the last three games.
• Indiana's four-run third inning in the seventh tied for its season-high for runs in an inning. The Hoosiers also scored four on Tuesday against Cincinnati and Feb. 16 at Memphis.

UP NEXT
Indiana is back in action this Friday when it takes on Northeastern at 2 p.m. in Conway, S.C.