NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Once again, junior pitcher Kyle Hart led the way for the Hoosiers after almost letting them fall behind.
In his past few starts, Hart has escaped trouble through strikeouts, weak contact and double plays.
Friday, however, Hart escaped a first inning jam courtesy of one of the rarest plays in baseball, a triple play.
“That was probably the luckiest play I've been a part of, ever seen,” Hart said. “That totally revamped my start and I don't think I would have had the type of success I had without that play."
After the triple play, Hart went on to pitch six more innings without allowing an earned run, seven total in a 7-1 Hoosier victory against Radford in IU’s first game of the NCAA Tournament.
The triple play which rescued Hart from damage started with the left-hander freezing Radford's Patrick Marshall with a fastball on the outside corner. The count was full, so Radford Coach Joe Raccuia sent Josh Reavis from first base to try and avoid a double play.
But Reavis had a bad jump off first base, Hart said, so he knew his senior catcher Brad Hartong was going to get the second out at second base.
Then, Hart turned and looked at Shane Johnsonbaugh, who was frozen halfway between third base and home, waiting to eventually be tagged out by a diving Hartong.
The triple play allowed Hart to settle down, he said, and earn his fifth win of the season in eight starts after Hart missed the start of the season while still recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Similar to his previous victories, Hart started slow but then cruised easily through the rest of the day.
“I wish he would start a little bit quicker but it makes it kind of exciting, but he has always fought through it and gives us a chance,” IU Coach Chris Lemonis said. “After usually the third, fourth, fifth inning that’s the sign of a great pitcher when he really settles in and it is tough to get to him.”
When Hart became a regular part of IU’s pitching rotation, Lemonis said the season started to turn around.
“I think he helped a little bit when he came back and got in the mix for us is when we kind of took off as a team,” Lemonis said. “A lot of his personality has rubbed off on our whole ball club.”
The personality Lemonis talks about is a gritty one, a personality fitting for a person who never gives in and fights out of trouble, just like the Hoosiers have this season.
Hart’s first full start this season was against Maryland. Entering that game the Hoosiers were 25-19. Since Hart has returned, the Hoosiers have gone 10-3, moving the Hoosiers from outside the tournament field to in the tournament bracket, where the Hoosiers now sit in the winner’s bracket.
After the slow first inning, Hart allowed only three hits and allowed just one unearned run. Hart also struck out six batters Friday, a season high.
Throughout the game, save for the first two Radford batters, Hart mixed his pitches and locations well, keeping hitters off-balance.
“His curveball, his changeup, all of those were working,” Johnsonbaugh said. “I think we should’ve seen some more pitches, we were swinging early and getting out pretty quickly.”
Hart has the ability to use each of these pitches in whatever pith count or situation he encounters. This allows him to dictate the situation, no matter how dire the situation may be.
His composure on the mound has been indicative of IU’s mindset the past few weeks. The Hoosiers needed wins to get into the tournament, and they won. In the first inning Friday, Hart needed to get his team out of a first inning jam, and he did.
“Command and poise, you just see that,” Hartong said. “He doesn't really get rattled. We know he's not going to give up the big inning."
