Focus at the plate was the issue for IU on Tuesday night. They were shut out for the first time this season.
The Hoosiers stranded seven runners on base and struck out nine times at home to let the Bearcats cruise to victory, 5-0, for just the second time on the road this season.
“I tip my hat to Cincinnati,” IU Coach Chris Lemonis said. “They came in here and outplayed us again. I don’t know if it’s too many games in too many days, but offensively our consistency and leadership is just poor at times.”
The No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 hitters in the Hoosier lineup went a combined 1 for 10 in the game, failing to capitalize in three different scoring situations that could have made a difference in the game.
Reaching base in all four of his plate appearances, sophomore outfielder Laren Eustace did his job in the leadoff spot Tuesday. Eustace said he could tell the focus level wasn’t there pregame when the Hoosiers started stretching.
“It’s on us, the position players,” Eustace said. “We should take more pride as an offense to get things going and bring the energy every single day.”
The six Hoosier hits tie the third-lowest total of the season. The Hoosier defense struggled at times tonight as well.
The first three Hoosier runs allowed in the game were all unearned, and they never recovered from the early deficit.
“We probably could have scored a couple early,” Lemonis said. “It goes back to me. The head coach just got to have them ready to play, and tonight we weren’t ready to play.”
A few players IU relies heavily on at the plate were quiet at the dish Tuesday. This led to the offensive struggles.
Senior shortstop Brian Wilhite, the reigning Big Ten player of the week, saw his career-high, 10-game hit streak snap as he went 0 for 4 at the plate. A shallow pop fly to the left was tracked down by the shortstop, who made a sliding over-the-shoulder catch to end the game and Wilhite’s streak.
IU received two home runs off the bat of sophomore outfielder Logan Sowers on Sunday. Sowers, who had been absent because of a wrist injury Feb. 27, proved to be a missing factor in the lineup. The slugging Sowers finished 0 for 3 with two strikeouts against the Bearcats.
“His wrist didn’t bother him, he just swung and missed tonight,” Lemonis said. “That’s the game of baseball. You’re going to be a little hot, a little cold, but he’s healthy.”
The Hoosier offense will try to regroup at the dish in order to have a breakout performance tomorrow night against Evansville. But Lemonis said he was disappointed with the effort his players showed Tuesday.
“You just can’t dwell on it at all,” Eustace said. “We just have to bounce back, and we have another chance tomorrow, so that’s the good thing about baseball.”
