Hoosiers clinch share of Big Ten title

For the first time since 1949, the Indiana baseball team has secured at least a share of the Big Ten regular season title with a 7-2 come-from-behind win against Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, Friday night.

It didn't come easily for the Hoosiers.

Trailing 2-0 in the top of the ninth, sophomore designated hitter Scott Donley hit a shot up the middle to get on base against Trace Dempsey, who was going for a school-record and Big Ten record-tying 16th save.

Senior third baseman Michael Basil followed that with a double down the left field line that scored Donley. IU hadn't scored the night before, making that its first run in 17 innings in Columbus.

Basil would steal third, and, after a strikeout for the first out in the inning, freshman second baseman Nick Ramos hit a deep sacrifice fly to center field to score Basil. The Hoosiers had tied the game. It was Ramos' first at-bat of the game, as he pinch hit for sophomore second baseman Chad Clark.

In the 10th, Ramos would once again do the damage that would drive the Hoosiers to victory.

Sophomore first baseman Sam Travis walked, and Donley once again recorded a single, which advanced Travis to third. With one-out, Basil put down a sacrifice squeeze bunt to plate Travis.

IU had come back to take a 3-2 lead, its first of the series, after it appeared as if the game was almost out-of-reach.

When Travis slid across the plate, he quickly rose to his feet, yelling and pumping his fist in joy. The team almost flood the field to join him.

But Ramos wanted to make sure that lead would be enough for a Hoosier victory.

After a hit-by-pitch and a walk to load the bases, Ramos drove a ball over the right field fence for a grand slam, his fifth home run of the season, to put the Hoosiers up 7-2.

From there, junior pitcher Ryan Halstead took care of the shell-shocked Buckeyes in the 10th, allowing just one hit and striking out the final two batters, to deliver the win for the Hoosiers.

Sophomore pitcher Aaron Slegers went 8.1 innings for the Hoosiers, surrendering two runs on nine hits.

Ramos finished with five RBI. Basil ended up three-for-four with two RBI, including the game-winner, and one run scored.

The Hoosiers will have a chance to win the Big Ten title outright Saturday at 4:05 when it finishes the three-game series with Ohio State in Columbus.