After facing early-season scoring struggles, the IU bats put on a show Saturday afternoon.
IU recorded 23 hits in a blowout 12-1 victory against Middle Tennessee State at Bart Kaufman Field.
The Hoosiers did all their damage in the second through fifth innings and scored seven times in the third.
However, IU began the day struggling with runners in scoring position.
IU loaded the bases in the first with no outs after three singles by senior Alex Krupa, freshman Matt Gorski and senior Craig Dedelow.
MTSU was able to escape the jam, though, as sophomore Ryan Fineman hit into a double play and freshman Jake Matheny grounded out.
After another quick half-inning by junior pitcher Brian Hobbie in the second, IU took the lead during its turn at the plate. Freshman Jeremy Houston recorded an RBI single to left field to score sophomore Luke Miller from third.
The Hoosiers put the game out of reach in the third.
The seven-run inning began from an unlikely source, as Krupa hit his first home run as an IU player to right field to make the score 2-0. This was followed by five consecutive RBI singles.
Fineman, Matheny, senior Tony Butler, junior Logan Sowers and Houston all plated runs by way of a base hit. Krupa collected another RBI on a double play to cap the scoring in the frame.
This performance chased Middle Tennessee State’s starting pitcher, sophomore Carson Lester, from the game. Lester was unable to get an out in the third and was charged with allowing eight runs.
His replacement, junior pitcher Tanner McDivitt, allowed four more runs to the Hoosiers.
Miller recorded an RBI single in the fourth to stretch the IU lead to 9-0. The other three runs came in the fifth when Dedelow hit an RBI double while Matheny and junior pinch-hitter Colby Stratten added run-scoring singles.
Dedelow led all IU batters with four hits, while Gorski, Miller and Matheny each had three-hit performances.
Hobbie was pulled after six innings of efficient work. He allowed just three hits and one run, as MTSU scored in the sixth.
IU used three relief pitchers, who each threw one inning, to close out the win.
Freshmen Cameron Beauchamp, Brad Littleton and Cal Krueger all saw time on the mound, with Krueger being the only one to allow a hit.
The win improved IU’s record to 5-7-1 and evened the series with the Blue Raiders at one win apiece.
The deciding game of the series will be played tomorrow afternoon.
Cameron Drummond
