Eastern Michigan defeats Hoosiers 10-6

Entering the game with four consecutive losses, Eastern Michigan was supposed to be the team struggling Wednesday afternoon.

But after giving up 11 hits and leaving 12 stranded on base, IU lost to the Eagles, 10-6.
The loss drops the Hoosiers to 3-4 on the season and 0-1 at home.

“Grounding into five double plays was tough,” said IU sophomore first baseman Jerrud Sabourin after the game. “We just didn’t have the right things going for us today. We didn’t get the clutch hits, make the clutch pitches, and the game could have been totally different if we do.”

The pivotal point in the game for Eastern Michigan came in the fifth inning. Down 3-2, the Eagles put on a hitting clinic against IU sophomore pitchers Joey O’Gara and Matt Carr. Eastern Michigan scored five runs on five hits, beginning with a lead-off double by junior shortstop Jim Gulliver.

The Eagles added to their lead in the eighth inning, as a pair of errors by the Hoosier defense contributed to three runs.

Despite the loss, the Hoosiers took away a couple of positives.

Freshman catcher Josh Lyon had the most complete day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double and RBI. After lackluster pitching early, senior pitcher Joe Vicini stepped in during the eighth inning and pitched 1 1/3 innings. He struck out two and allowed a sole hit.

Sabourin said the team is still confident going into the Eagle Invitational in Statesboro, Ga., this weekend.

“We just need to keep our heads up,” he said. “Obviously losing two in a row like this, against teams we should beat, is hard. We need to step it up.”