Freshman infielder Scotty Bradley didn’t enter the game until the seventh inning.
But it didn’t matter to him, as he came off the bench to ignite a Hoosier rally in the seventh and then ultimately grab the game-winning hit in the 10th inning as IU defeated Evansville 7-6.
“We’re the best deal in college baseball,” IU Coach Chris Lemonis said. “We’ve played more extra inning games than anybody I think. So when you come to see us you’ve got a chance to see more than nine.”
The one big inning is what the Hoosiers have not been able to elude this season. On Tuesday in Evansville, it almost seemed to be the same scenario.
IU watched the Purple Aces plate four runs in the bottom of the fourth, including a two-run home run and a two out, two RBI double putting the Hoosiers in a four run deficit early.
After two more innings of scoreless baseball, Bradley led the seventh inning off with a pinch-hit single to give IU momentum.
“Being a pinch hitter and come in the games late, you always have to stay ready,” Bradley said. “Not doing too much and keeping things as simple as possible, just trying to be the first one to get on base and help the team start a spark.”
IU would load the bases via a walk and a single on the next two batters before junior left fielder Alex Krupa walked to force home the first run of the inning.
A chopper down the third base line by sophomore designated hitter Colby Stratten resulted in a two RBI double. Junior center fielder Craig Dedelow followed with a bloop double of his own which tied the game 5-5.
Freshman right fielder Luke Miller added a hard ground out to the shortstop that was able to score Stratten from third to give the Hoosiers a one run advantage.
Just when the Hoosiers thought they had done enough to secure the victory, they were quickly let down. After a scoreless bottom of the seventh, junior right-hander Thomas Belcher took the mound in the eighth to be the set up man for junior closer Jake Kelzer.
A lead off single followed by a RBI triple off the wall in center by Jonathan Ramon, who homered earlier in the game, tied the game up 6-6 and forced Lemonis to grab Kelzer from the bullpen to stop the bleeding and ultimately send the game into extra innings.
Lemonis said he knew it would be a bullpen day after only getting three innings out of his junior starting pitcher Luke Stephenson.
Miller led off the 10th with a double to the right center gap and then advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by freshman catcher Ryan Fineman.
As junior second baseman Tony Butler was given a free pass to first on a hit by pitch, Bradley stepped up to the plate in a key situation once again and delivered for the Hoosiers.
With the infield drawn in, Bradley muscled the ball past the shortstop on the ground to give IU the lead and the game-winning hit.
“The coaches just told us in our meeting that we’re getting better each game,” Bradley said. “We lost a lot of tough ones early in the season. We’re improving and excited for what the future holds.”
