Bashore wins 1st game of season

The IU baseball team had two marquee names on its roster to begin the 2009 season: Josh Phegley and Matt Bashore.

Phegley has hit .400 on the season, while Bashore has been banished from the No. 1 pitching position he once held with a firm grip. IU’s 11-4 Tuesday victory against Chicago State, which was called after the fifth inning began, saw the re-emergence of IU’s one-time ace.

Bashore (1-3) gained his first win of the season. He was backed by an offense that put up two home runs and scored 11 earned runs.

Although he gained his lone win of the season, Bashore was still critical of his performance this season.

“It’s all about giving the team a chance to win,” he said. “And I feel like I haven’t been doing that to my best abilities.”

He pitched three innings, where he allowed only two hits and left Chicago State scoreless. Pegged as the Big Ten preseason pitcher of the year, he got off to a surprising 0-3 to begin the season.

No competitor wants to be demoted, but Bashore said IU coach Tracy Smith’s decision to make him the Sunday pitcher in the rotation was justified.

“Obviously the other two guys have been pitching better than I have,” he said. “I’m just glad to still be pitching on the weekend. As long as I’m pitching, I’m happy.”

He had no lack of run support, as IU took advantage of the weather. Sophomore outfielder Kipp Schutz sent a routine fly ball lofting over the left-field wall for a home run in the first inning.

“I was just trying to stay back and go up the middle because the pitcher wasn’t throwing that hard,” Schutz said.

IU was also aided by the pitching of Chicago State’s James Tucker, who couldn’t have been more generous in his one and two-thirds innings pitched. The freshman gave up nine earned runs and seven hits and hit five batters.

Junior outfielder Evan Crawford and shortstop Jake Dunning took advantage of Chicago State pitcher Scott Balcer in the third inning. Crawford tallied a 2 RBI single and Dunning shot a ball to right field for a 2 RBI double.

Both scored in the third inning, and Dunning later hit an RBI double. Second baseman Tyler Rogers added to IU’s scoring route with a home run to center field.

While Bashore performed well, Marshall Gorham also struggled for IU, giving up six hits and four runs in two innings. He gave up all four runs in the fourth inning, none bigger than center fielder Albert Carpen’s three-run homer to give Chicago State four runs on the day.

“He’s got to make better pitches,” Smith said. “You’re probably not as focused as you should be because you’re trying to get the game in. If you leave some pitches up guys are going to make you pay for it.”

Bashore was only on the mound for three innings, but said the performance can be integral in his realignment among the Big Ten’s best.

“Every chance you get to have a game like that is good for you to get your confidence going,” he said. “I’ve been struggling with the off-speed pitch, but I found it again today.”

Smith said his pitcher still struggled in the early innings but found a rhythm he can parlay into future success.

“In the first couple, the pace at which he was going was not great,” Smith said. “The third inning was more like him. He picked up his tempo a little bit, so it’s good to finish on that going into the Big Ten.”