IU takes 2 of 3 from Northwestern

After two consecutive games in which an IU starting pitcher failed to make it through the third inning, sophomore pitcher Aaron Slegers reminded Hooiser fans what a strong outing looks like.

Slegers (8-1) registered his team-high eighth win of the year, scattering nine hits in 6.2 innings, allowing two runs (both earned) with four strikeouts and no walks in IU’s 9-2 win against Northwestern Sunday at Bart Kaufman Field.

“I think when you look at that he probably had as much to do with the way this game goes because the first two games we didn’t get quality starts, and we always say it starts on the mound,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said. “The way we expended ourselves the last couple days, we needed him to go deep and he did, so good job by him.”

Sleger’s win didn’t come without some drama in the top of the sixth, though.

Pinch-hitter Jack Livingston led off the inning with a single to left. Trevor Stevens followed with a single to center to put runners on first and second for Kyle Ruchim.
Ruchim hit a one-hop liner to short that senior Michael Basil tried to backhand. The ball instead caromed off Basil and into left field, scoring Livingston.

Pitcher Zach Morton then singled to left to make it 6-2 IU, sending Ruchim to third. After a popout, catcher Scott Heelan hit a chopper back to the mound. Ruchim broke for the plate, and Slegers tossed it to sophomore catcher Kyle Schwarber to cut down Ruchim at the plate.

Slegers got out of the jam by getting Jack Mitchell to pop out in the infield.

“This deep in the season it gives you confidence, you know,” Slegers said of pitching with runners on base. “I’ve sort of been there, and sit back and trust your stuff and keep doing what kind of got me here. It does help with all this experience, being the middle of May to just take a deep breath on the mound and continue to throw strikes and let the defense work.”

IU got the scoring started in the second. After the first two hitters reached with singles and Casey Smith sacrificed them to second and third, freshman second basemen Nick Ramos singled the opposite way to left to drive in two and give the Hoosiers a 2-0 lead.

All of the Hoosiers’ 16 hits were singles, led by junior third baseman Dustin DeMuth’s 4-for-4, two-runs-scored day. The four hits raised DeMuth’s team-best batting average to .417.

“Everyone had quality AB’s and was waiting on that slider and just being patient with it and putting good wood on it,” DeMuth said. “You don’t always have to have the big hits, they’re always nice, but you can string singles together and have timely hitting to put some runs on the board.”

The Hoosiers (38-11, 15-6 Big Ten) added four runs in the fourth on an RBI bunt single by senior centerfielder Justin Cureton and a two-run single to left by sophomore first baseman Sam Travis.

After Northwestern’s mini-rally in the top of the sixth, IU responded with three runs in the bottom half.

Morton (3-5) lasted just four innings, allowing six earned runs on 11 hits with one strikeout and one walk.

With the win, IU took two of three from Northwestern (22-23, 9-15) for the fourth-consecutive year.

Before the game, IU honored its four seniors, Basil, Cureton, infielder Trace Knoblauch and right-handed pitcher Walker Stadler.

“This is a special year, probably one of the best in Indiana’s history,” he said. “And for those guys to be a part of it, not just be a part of it but be a big part of the reason why is something I hope they don’t forget because we’re certainly not going to. Certainly going to miss those guys when the season’s over but we hope it’s not for a while.”