Solid Hoosier pitching shuts out DePauw

Temperatures hovering near 40 degrees and winds howling around 10 mph aren't exactly pitcher-friendly conditions. \nThe IU pitching staff didn't seem to notice the weather. \nDePauw's pitching staff might not consider Tuesday's brisk climate conducive to pitchers … or hitters. \nAfter trudging through their first eight games weighed down by struggling pitchers, the Hoosiers battled through a dip in the thermometer, getting solid pitching and timely hitting in a 6-0 victory against visiting DePauw at Sembower Field. \nIU (4-4-1) came into the game giving up an average of more than 10 runs, and opponents were whacking Hoosier pitching at a .319 clip.\nSeven IU pitchers held DePauw (2-1) to just three hits -- all singles. Only two Tiger runners reached scoring position -- one coming via a balk -- and DePauw sent three batters to the plate in six of the nine innings. \n"Our pitchers went out and threw strikes and competed," coach Bob Morgan said. "We were much more aggressive on the mound."\nFreshman Chris Behrens (2-0) started and notched his second win of the season for the Hoosiers. Behrens sailed through the first three innings, allowing only one hit. He erased his only walk by picking off Tiger right fielder Jason Geringer.\nThe remaining five pitchers for the Hoosiers pitched an inning a piece, combining to yield only two hits, three walks, strike out four over the final six innings and keep the imposing cold out of their minds.\n"It was freezing," said sophomore Nick Vitielliss, who tossed the ninth inning. "We didn't get warm until we started throwing off the mound. But once you start throwing, you don't notice the weather." \nThe Hoosier defense helped the pitching, turning a pair of double plays and going errorless. Sophomore third baseman Nick Evans, in his first start of the season, showed off his range. The Findlay, Ohio, native darted to his left and right to record six assists and three putouts. \n"Nick did a great job," senior center fielder Blake St. Clair said. "He made every play that was hit at him. We played solid defense, and that's what you have to do."\nThe only real threat the Tigers made came in the fifth inning off IU right hander Kevin O'Brien, who is normally the Hooisers' starting catcher and made his first pitching appearance since high school. Geringer led off the inning with a four-pitch walk, then advanced to second on O'Brien's balk, but O'Brien retired the next three batters. \nWhile the Hoosier pitchers suppressed the Tiger bats, IU's offense continued to roll. The Hoosiers scored five runs in the first three innings to take control. Sophomore John Bestler blasted a first-inning home run to left field to put the Hoosiers on top. It was Bestler's first career homer. \nFreshman Cody Wargo and redshirt freshman Mark Calkins both knocked in runs in the second inning. Wargo recorded one of IU's four doubles of the afternoon. With runners on second and third in the third inning, sophomores Joe Sadler and Michael Woodside produced RBI groundouts. \nDePauw countered the Hoosier hits with Daniel Mack. The right-hander replaced starter Jason Lee (1-1), who took the loss. Mack held the Hoosiers hitless for four innings and retired 12 of the 13 hitters he faced. IU did score a run off Mack after he hit Woodside, who scored on a squeeze bunt by junior shortstop Eric Blakeley. But Mack kept the Tigers in the game, striking out five and allowing only one ball to leave the infield. \n"(Mack) threw well," Morgan said. "He had a good fastball and change up and kept us off-balance with his curveball. You have to give him credit. The kid's a good pitcher and did a nice job."\nThe victory could help slingshot IU into its next five games -- all at Sembower Field -- and the spring break trip to Homestead, Fla. Vitielliss said the team is starting to play with the enthusiasm and aggressiveness it needs to to build momentum -- the way, he said, the Hoosiers are "supposed to play."\n"In our last two games at Winthrop (last weekend), we started play the way we want to," Vitielliss said. "We wanted to do the same thing today, and with the cold weather, I think we did a great job doing that"