Indiana University Athletics
Granted, IU Baseball is on a Roll
3/24/2019 4:07:00 PM | Baseball
By: Andy Graham
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Grant Richardson had himself quite a weekend.
So did Indiana's baseball Hoosiers.
IU finished off its opening Big Ten weekend with Sunday's 7-1 victory over Iowa, capping a three-game series sweep in which the host Hoosiers outscored the Hawkeyes by a combined 23-4.
Freshman outfielder Richardson went 0-for-4 during IU's 3-2 walk-off win Friday, but mashed throughout Saturday and Sunday, going a combined 6-for-8 with a homer, a double and seven RBI.
Richardson's homer was a two-run, opposite-field shot that in the bottom of the second that enlivened the Hoosier bullpen – with classmate Gabe Bierman gloving the ball while hitting the wall in the back of the pen.
"I think it was a fastball, fastball low and away," Richardson recalled. "But I was sitting fastball, first pitch … off the bat it was a really good feeling. I knew I had that one."
That drive started the day's scoring. But it might not even rank as the highlight of Richardson's day.
Indiana was nursing a 3-1 lead in the sixth when Iowa got consecutive two-out singles from Lorenzo Elion and Terre Haute South product Justin Jenkins to mount a threat. Mitchell Boe then laced a low, curving liner to right. Both runners took off on contact.
But Richardson reacted immediately, got on his horse and delivered a full-out diving catch that kept IU's lead intact.
"I saw it coming off the bat immediately," Richardson said. "I was just kind of happy I caught that. I dove. It was just in the moment.
"You just kind of catch it and it's, 'Oh, wow. I actually caught that.' I was glad to be able to come up with that and save a couple of runs from scoring."
IU coach Jeff Mercer got a good look at the play from the Hoosier dugout.
"It was an incredible catch," Mercer said. "He's a different level of athlete. He puts his foot in the ground and he can really accelerate.
"But it's important to understand that Grant wasn't ready to play at the beginning of the season because he wasn't ready defensively. So for the first month, we traveled him every day, and he'd hit in one BP (batting practice) group and did three defensive groups every day.
"He took every fly ball, every rep, like it was the seventh game of the World Series and developed himself into an elite defender over the course of a month during the season. That allows plays like that to happen."
It was happening for the Hoosiers most of Sunday.
After Richardson's homer created the 2-0 lead in the second, Iowa made it 2-1 on Trent Wallace's RBI double, and Jenkins robbed Matt Lloyd with a great catch in center during the Hoosier third.
But then the Hoosiers got that run back in the third as sophomore Elijah Dunham drilled a solo shot to dead center, with the ball leaving Bart Kaufman Field in a hurry.
IU made it 4-1 in the fifth.
Senior centerfielder Logan Kaletha, who had the walk-off hit Friday, got his second hit in as many at bats Sunday to lead off the inning but was then injured sliding into second on Jeremy Houston's successful sacrifice bunt.
Justin Walker came in to pinch-run for Kaletha, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Drew Ashley's sac fly to deep left that required a diving catch from Iowa's Ben Norman.
Mercer's bullpen, meantime, was keeping the Hawkeyes in check.
IU's Andrew Saalfrank, Gabe Bierman, Cal Krueger and Connor Manous pitched two innings apiece before Matt Lloyd closed out the ninth – and the Hoosier hurlers didn't allow an earned run while combining for nine strikeouts.
The bullpen was ready for Sunday because Friday and Saturday starters Pauly Milto and Tanner Gordon combined to throw over 15 innings.
"It was because of the starts from Milto and from Gordon that we were able to have a fresh bullpen," Mercer said. "So you're able to go to Bierman, go right into Cal (Krueger), then Manous and you finish up with Lloyd there at the end.
"So what we did earlier in the week allowed us to extend today, not take any risks, and be able to put this one away. It was a really good start for us, good first weekend."
Indiana (15-8 overall, 3-0 Big Ten) capped the scoring for its good weekend with a three-run eighth.
Lloyd singled, Ryan Fineman walked and Dunham singled to load the bases. With one out, Richardson sent a RBI single to left and, with two outs, Houston lined a two-RBI single to center.
Both teams finished with nine hits. Iowa (11-10, 0-3) got two from Jenkins. Dunham and Kaletha had two hits apiece to augment Richardson's three. Bierman (2-0) picked up the win in relief while Iowa ace Grant Judkins (2-2) took the loss despite pitching six solid innings.
The other guy with the first name of Grant, wearing the Hoosiers' Sunday reds, had the better day.
Winners of eight straight, the Hoosiers host Kent State at 5 p.m. Wednesday before resuming Big Ten play next weekend at Maryland. IU's next home league series, with Penn State visiting, starts April 5.?
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Grant Richardson had himself quite a weekend.
So did Indiana's baseball Hoosiers.
IU finished off its opening Big Ten weekend with Sunday's 7-1 victory over Iowa, capping a three-game series sweep in which the host Hoosiers outscored the Hawkeyes by a combined 23-4.
Freshman outfielder Richardson went 0-for-4 during IU's 3-2 walk-off win Friday, but mashed throughout Saturday and Sunday, going a combined 6-for-8 with a homer, a double and seven RBI.
Richardson's homer was a two-run, opposite-field shot that in the bottom of the second that enlivened the Hoosier bullpen – with classmate Gabe Bierman gloving the ball while hitting the wall in the back of the pen.
"I think it was a fastball, fastball low and away," Richardson recalled. "But I was sitting fastball, first pitch … off the bat it was a really good feeling. I knew I had that one."
That drive started the day's scoring. But it might not even rank as the highlight of Richardson's day.
Indiana was nursing a 3-1 lead in the sixth when Iowa got consecutive two-out singles from Lorenzo Elion and Terre Haute South product Justin Jenkins to mount a threat. Mitchell Boe then laced a low, curving liner to right. Both runners took off on contact.
But Richardson reacted immediately, got on his horse and delivered a full-out diving catch that kept IU's lead intact.
"I saw it coming off the bat immediately," Richardson said. "I was just kind of happy I caught that. I dove. It was just in the moment.
"You just kind of catch it and it's, 'Oh, wow. I actually caught that.' I was glad to be able to come up with that and save a couple of runs from scoring."
IU coach Jeff Mercer got a good look at the play from the Hoosier dugout.
"It was an incredible catch," Mercer said. "He's a different level of athlete. He puts his foot in the ground and he can really accelerate.
"But it's important to understand that Grant wasn't ready to play at the beginning of the season because he wasn't ready defensively. So for the first month, we traveled him every day, and he'd hit in one BP (batting practice) group and did three defensive groups every day.
"He took every fly ball, every rep, like it was the seventh game of the World Series and developed himself into an elite defender over the course of a month during the season. That allows plays like that to happen."
It was happening for the Hoosiers most of Sunday.
After Richardson's homer created the 2-0 lead in the second, Iowa made it 2-1 on Trent Wallace's RBI double, and Jenkins robbed Matt Lloyd with a great catch in center during the Hoosier third.
But then the Hoosiers got that run back in the third as sophomore Elijah Dunham drilled a solo shot to dead center, with the ball leaving Bart Kaufman Field in a hurry.
IU made it 4-1 in the fifth.
Senior centerfielder Logan Kaletha, who had the walk-off hit Friday, got his second hit in as many at bats Sunday to lead off the inning but was then injured sliding into second on Jeremy Houston's successful sacrifice bunt.
Justin Walker came in to pinch-run for Kaletha, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Drew Ashley's sac fly to deep left that required a diving catch from Iowa's Ben Norman.
Mercer's bullpen, meantime, was keeping the Hawkeyes in check.
IU's Andrew Saalfrank, Gabe Bierman, Cal Krueger and Connor Manous pitched two innings apiece before Matt Lloyd closed out the ninth – and the Hoosier hurlers didn't allow an earned run while combining for nine strikeouts.
The bullpen was ready for Sunday because Friday and Saturday starters Pauly Milto and Tanner Gordon combined to throw over 15 innings.
"It was because of the starts from Milto and from Gordon that we were able to have a fresh bullpen," Mercer said. "So you're able to go to Bierman, go right into Cal (Krueger), then Manous and you finish up with Lloyd there at the end.
"So what we did earlier in the week allowed us to extend today, not take any risks, and be able to put this one away. It was a really good start for us, good first weekend."
Indiana (15-8 overall, 3-0 Big Ten) capped the scoring for its good weekend with a three-run eighth.
Lloyd singled, Ryan Fineman walked and Dunham singled to load the bases. With one out, Richardson sent a RBI single to left and, with two outs, Houston lined a two-RBI single to center.
Both teams finished with nine hits. Iowa (11-10, 0-3) got two from Jenkins. Dunham and Kaletha had two hits apiece to augment Richardson's three. Bierman (2-0) picked up the win in relief while Iowa ace Grant Judkins (2-2) took the loss despite pitching six solid innings.
The other guy with the first name of Grant, wearing the Hoosiers' Sunday reds, had the better day.
Winners of eight straight, the Hoosiers host Kent State at 5 p.m. Wednesday before resuming Big Ten play next weekend at Maryland. IU's next home league series, with Penn State visiting, starts April 5.?
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