It was a frustrating start of the year for senior starting pitcher Evan Bell.
The Hoosiers lost each of his first seven outings and even though he was pitching well, the offense wasn’t giving Bell the needed run support.
“At times this year they’ve struggled to score for me,” Bell said. “I know they’re a resilient group and a pretty good offense right now, and they’ve got stuff figured out.”
Although Bell never allowed more than three runs in a game, IU’s first victory of the year with him on the hill didn’t come until he surrendered five runs against rival Purdue in 5.1 innings. He buckled down in the middle of conference play earning his first win on the road against Minnesota before the best start of his career on senior day Sunday.
The 6-foot-8 right-hander from Stillwell, Kansas, left his final impression on Bart Kaufman Field by going the distance in the rubber match against Illinois to win the series. In his nine innings of work, Bell allowed just one earned run on three hits while striking out six Illini in the 4-1 victory.
IU has won each of Bell’s past four starts and IU Coach Chris Lemonis said he feels like his senior starter has gotten over that one bad inning during the game.
“He felt like he was getting stronger out there the whole night,” Lemonis said. “He was finding a sticking point in games and couldn’t really get through it, but the last two weekends he’s just really competed.”
Bell was able to pitch with an early lead for just the fifth time all season as the Hoosier offense plated three runs in the first for early support. He said that helped him ensure confidence on the mound after his offense established the initial attack.
Three runs would be more than enough for Bell as he only made one mistake on the afternoon coming in the second inning.
After the Hoosiers scored three runs in the first, the Illini responded with junior first baseman Pat McInerney blasting his second home run of the series beyond the left center field fence. Bell was exceptional on the mound after the solo shot, not allowing a hit to the next 16 batters he faced.
The season high 113 pitches thrown by Bell was something he wasn’t accustomed to doing early on in the season. He said he wasn’t used to going deep into games at the beginning of the season resulting in some of his early season struggles.
“I wasn’t used to throwing that many innings that fast so my arm kind of got a little sore,” Bell said. “I think I’ve worked my way through that, and I’m just throwing more strikes and feeling comfortable for a longer outing.”
With Bell thriving in the final month of the regular season, the Hoosiers cushion their strong suit of pitching as they enter the postseason hunt as they carry three quality starters on the starting staff.
“All three starters let your bullpen have some spots in there,” Lemonis said. “When you have a senior with really good stuff going out there on Sunday afternoon, you just have a good feeling in the clubhouse.”
