Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
Support the IDS in College Media Madness! Donate here March 24 - April 8.
Friday, March 29
The Indiana Daily Student

sports baseball

IU extends win streak to seven

spiubase022618.jpg

IU baseball has been nearly perfect this season.

Heading into a four-game series at San Diego, the 6-1 Hoosiers were clicking on all cylinders, except for one category: starting pitching.

Aside from junior pitcher Pauly Milto, no IU starter had picked up a win this season.

The tide changed for IU on Friday, however. In the opening matchup against the Toreros, junior pitcher Jonathan Stiever picked up his first win of the season en route to a 10-4 victory.

Stiever delivered 5.2 innings, matching his longest outing of the season. While giving up four runs — three of which were earned — Stiever struck out seven, walked one and gave up seven hits.

For the starter, it was smooth sailing most of the way thanks to the early run support. In all eight games this season, IU scored in at least one of their first two innings. 

By the time Stiever headed to the mound in the fourth inning, he already had a 6-0 lead.

The Hoosiers jumped on top in the second when sophomore first basemen Scotty Bradley picked up an RBI on a groundout.

The biggest inning for IU came in the fourth, however. 

Behind five hits and two errors, the Hoosiers scored five runs to gain that aforementioned 6-0 advantage. 

A two-run double down the left field line from junior catcher Ryan Fineman got things rolling for IU in the inning. The double was followed up by an RBI single from sophomore outfielder Matt Gorski two batters later. 

An RBI groundout from sophomore shortstop Jeremy Houston and an RBI single from junior outfielder Logan Kaletha gave IU all the momentum to cruise from that point.

Following the big inning for IU, San Diego was able to get their first run in the bottom half of the fourth. However, the Hoosiers bounced back quickly in the fifth when Fineman launched his first home run of the season over the left field fence.

Stiever ran into trouble in the sixth inning when defensive mistakes took over, and the Toreros were able to plate three more runs, forcing Coach Chris Lemonis to go to the bullpen.

The small sign of life that San Diego showed did not last long. Senior reliever Kade Kryzsko pitched 3.1 scoreless innings to earn his first save of the season. 

IU tacked on some more runs in the eighth when junior utility player Matt Lloyd hit a two-run double. 

The four-game series between the Hoosiers and Toreros will continue with a doubleheader Saturday. First pitch for game one will be at 4 p.m. with game two scheduled for 7 p.m.

Stefan Krajisnik

Get stories like this in your inbox
Subscribe