BLOOMINGTON – The #11 Indiana Hoosiers squeaked out a 6-5 win in the first game of a doubleheader and then improved to 19-5 on the year with a 13-0 win in the nightcap. BU led for a majority of game one, but an IU comeback would swing the momentum which led to the sweep.
Butler opened up the scoring in the first game with two outs in the top of the fourth inning.
Michael Hartnagel would double down the leftfield line and come around to score off a
Garrett Christman single through the right side.
The 'Dawgs found another run in the fifth with freshman
James Gargano recording an RBI.
Connor Dall led off the frame with a single back up the middle of the field. He advanced on a sac bunt and scored on the Gargano at-bat.
The Hoosiers would respond with a run of their own in the bottom of the fifth, but the sixth inning would really impact the outcome. Butler added two runs in the top of six, but would allow four to see their lead evaporate.
Harrison Freed hit a two-RBI ground rule double in the sixth to score Hartnagel and
Gehrig Parker, but the Hoosiers would capitalize on some BU miscues to take a lead.
Sam Hubbe hit the first batter he faced and then would be replaced on the mound by
Josh Walker.
Walker walked the first batter he faced to give IU two runners on with no outs. IU would come up with four total runs off just one hit. There were two costly errors that allowed IU to grab the slim one-run advantage.
Butler would respond in the eighth inning to tie the game off an RBI single from Dall, but a passed ball in the bottom of the ninth inning would score Walker to win the game.
The momentum from game one leaked into game two as IU scored five runs in the bottom of the first to take a commanding lead. IU would keep their foot on the gas by scoring a single run in the second, third and fourth to grab an 8-0 lead after four.
IU scored two in the fifth and two more in the sixth to increase their lead. A solo run in the eighth would take the two teams to the final score of 13-0.
Butler will look to avoid the weekend sweep tomorrow afternoon with a single contest in Bloomington. First pitch is scheduled for 1 PM.
