IU’s 18-game win streak comes to an end

There was a runner on first base, a full count and two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning with the Hoosiers trailing by one.

In the storybook 18-game winning streak for IU baseball, there were no more fairy-tale endings as junior infielder Dustin DeMuth struck out to secure the team’s first loss since March 9.

Illinois (19-9, 2-4) became the first Big Ten opponent to take down No. 17 IU (25-4, 8-1) this season and snapped the Hoosiers’ streak with a 3-2 win Sunday afternoon.

“It’s something disappointing,” senior infielder Michael Basil said. “It’s something that we honestly wanted to keep going, but streaks like that are rare, and streaks end at some point.”

The Hoosiers still took the series from the Illini by winning on Friday and Saturday, capturing their third consecutive Big Ten series.

On Friday, despite being out-hit eight to four, IU picked up the 3-2 win for the game one victory.

The cream and crimson followed up on Saturday by dispatching the Illini 7-3.

Sophomore pitcher Kyle Hart improved to 5-0 on the year by giving up one earned run in seven innings of work.

Sophomore catcher Kyle Schwarber was out for Sunday’s game due to a sprained knee. Schwarber, an offensive catalyst for the Hoosiers, leads his team in batting average, hits, home runs and slugging percentage.

“Did it win or lose us the game? I wouldn’t say so,” Basil said. “We still had our chances to try and get runners on and make something happen. But we’re definitely hoping he gets back as soon as possible.”

IU Coach Tracy Smith said Schwarber is a big threat in the lineup, but said he didn’t know if the catcher’s absence also had a psychological effect on the team.

“You had a stretch like we had, however many games it was,” Smith said. “It’s kind of a flow and you get things going. And I’m sure that was on some people’s minds before the game, you take it out of the flow.”

In the bottom of the fifth inning and trailing 2-0, it was the bottom of the order that came through for the Hoosiers. Sophomore catcher Chad Clark hit a single and was brought home by freshmen infielder Nick Ramos’ first career two-run homerun.

“On the homerun, it felt awesome to tie the game,” Ramos said. “And thank God for the wind. It helped out a little bit.”

There was a bit of confusion in the top of the sixth when freshman pitcher Will Coursen-Carr was called in to replace sophomore pitcher Aaron Slegers after the starter gave up a 2-0 count to the first batter he faced in the inning.

After Coursen-Carr reached the mound and threw a warm-up pitch, the umpire made Slegers come back into the game.

According to NCAA rule 9-4f, “when the game pitcher crosses the foul line on the way to the mound to start an inning, he shall pitch to the first batter until such batter is put out or reaches base, unless a pinch hitter sustains an injury or illness, which incapacitates him from continuing.”

Everybody was confused as to what was going on with the new rule, including the skipper.

“I guess I should have read that (rule) a little better,” Smith said with a smile. “I guess it’s a new rule this year that once a guy starts an at-bat, he’s got to stay there. I don’t think that had the impact. We got a double play ball and threw it away.”

Slegers then gave up a single, and sophomore infielder Sam Travis had a throwing error trying to make the double play, putting runners on first and second with no outs.
For the second time of the day, Slegers came out of the game, and Illinois notched the eventual winning run in the frame.

The Hoosiers were unable to muster any offense the rest of the day, not scoring in the final four innings. Multiple players said they thought the team was pressing offensively.
The Hoosiers made contact on 10 first-pitch offerings, only getting hits in two occurrences.

“For the first time in a long time, about 50 percent of our at-bats today I thought we gave away,” Smith said. “I thought we swung at a lot of pitches we don’t usually swing at, and when you’re in a tight ball game like that, you can’t give away half of your at-bats.”