Hoosiers steal bases, win at Indiana State

TERRE HAUTE — The IU baseball team’s offense put it together Wednesday.

The Hoosiers followed up 10 hits with solid base running — including a steal home in a two-run sixth inning — to earn a 6-4 victory against Indiana State at Bob Warn Field.

The Sycamores (5-6) struck first, holding a 1-0 lead through the first two innings with two two-base hits.

However, in the top of the third, IU freshman designated hitter Dillon Dooney batted in two with a base hit to give IU (7-4) a lead it would not relinquish.

The Hoosiers kept the Sycamores at bay in the middle innings, but Indiana State battled back in the final three innings. ISU centerfielder Robby Ort slammed a solo home run over right field in the seventh, and the Sycamores earned another run in the ninth to again pull within two scores.

The late run was not enough, and Indiana State finished with four runs on
eight hits.

The Sycamores’ aggressive bats prompted appearances by seven different IU pitchers in attempts to preserve the win for starter junior Drew Leininger, who improved to 1-1 on the season.

Seven different IU batters contributed at least one hit, and three Hoosiers combined for five RBIs. Dooney, who also drove in IU’s final run in the top of the ninth, said good baserunning had been a point of emphasis going into Wednesday’s game.

“We’re definitely working on that a lot more, and we’re getting better with that,” Dooney said. “As the year goes by it’s going to increase, and it’s going to come with
our hitting.”

This progress manifested itself in the Hoosiers’ two-run, two-hit sixth inning.
Sophomore shortstop Michael Basil, who scored one of the two runs on Dooney’s second-inning single, stole home plate when Indiana State threw to first in a pickoff attempt to record IU’s fifth run. With the RBIs, Dooney tied the team-high total with six on the season off of six hits.

IU coach Tracy Smith said the team had been drawing up that maneuver in practice.

“It’s kind of a trick play, a gadget play we work on,” Smith said. “That was a big run for us. That was definitely a big run for us.”

Basil said he just went with it.

“I didn’t think going into the game we would try it,” Basil said. “But we’ve worked on it the past couple of weeks, and he just called for it at that moment.”

IU senior pitcher Matt Carr threw IU’s Big Ten-leading ninth pickoff out with a tag at first in the fourth inning.

While IU did plenty at the plate to earn its fourth win in March, Smith said he still is looking for more from the Hoosiers’ offense.

“We’ve been pounding out 10 hits, but it just doesn’t seem like we’ve gotten the hit yet,” Smith said. “I know it’s going to come.

“Most pleasing to me is just we were able to get after it on the mound again and throw strikes and compete. And as soon as those bats come around, I think it’s going to be that much better for us.”